Combat sports has lost another titan. Russian six-time world champion, Buvaisar Saitiev has passed away. The cause of death is reported to be a sudden heart attack, and the Chechen heritage Olympian, who was a State Deputy to the Russian parliament from Dagestan, was 49 at the time of his passing.

And the tributes have come pouring in. Including from some UFC titans from Russia, like Khabib Nuramgomedov and Khamzat Chimaev.

“May Allah forgive you Brother 🤲 You inspired millions of children around the world and we will miss you. I express my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones, patience to you 🤲,” ‘The Eagle wrote on Instagram along with a picture of him with Saitiev. Chimaev, too, paid tribute to the deceased world champion, posting a picture of him on his Instagram account.

One of Chimaev’s fans, called Saitiev “The greatest wrestler ever” and “A legend” in the comments section of ‘Borz’s post. Of course, being from Russia and Muslim, Chimaev and Nurmagomedov probably idolized Saitiev when they were young wrestlers. And while Nurmagomedov has retired, Chimaev will have the chance to pay tribute to the legendary wrestler in the best way before the end of this year.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis rumored for UFC 318

Khamzat Chimaev is in line for a middleweight title shot. In fact, according to reports, the UFC wants ‘Borz’ to face champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 318 this July. And everyone, including Du Plessis and the Chechnya native, cannot wait for it. ‘DDP’, of course, wants desperately to snap ‘Borz’s undefeated streak and has promised to give him a good hiding.

“People think of Khamzat as this boogeyman. That’s a fact. I don’t. I don’t see that. For me, I only see one thing, and that’s the potential to do good to my legacy. The potential to make my legacy even better,” Du Plessis said in a recent interview.

There is another reason the champ cannot wait to fight Chimaev– Du Plessis wants to become the middleweight GOAT. Which wouldn’t be easy since his competition is Anderson Silva, one of the greatest to ever do it period. However, a win over the undefeated Chimaev– the most hyped fighter in the history of the sport– would be a good start. Or, ‘Borz’ could beat Du Plessis to become champion and continue the legacy of Buvaisar Saitiev. What do you think about Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev’s tributes to Saitiev?