Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is a controversial global figure with a certain presence in combat sports, and Lucas Browne had quite the curious meeting with Kadyrov years back.
The backstory to that comes from a fight in Browne’s boxing career in Grozny when he faced Ruslan Chagaev. There was a picture around that time from an open workout in Grozny, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was seen with Browne himself.
When asked for the backstory on that curious Kadyrov photo he retweeted on his personal X account, Browne said [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
“It was during the entire process. I was treated like a superstar. So I had no issue of any sort with anyone. They appointed two, maybe three guards around the clock with guns and everything like that. We were fully protected for whatever reason. The Kadyrov bit was funny because he was doing pads and doing this, doing that, and literally he is the man.”
“Everyone just bows to his feet. Whatever he does, whatever he says, it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard. Yeah, he was literally the man. And I remember watching a cabinet meeting and all the other cabinet members had their military uniforms on. He had a pair of jeans and a leather jacket. I’m like, “That’s him. That that sort of sums him up completely.” And then we were in the ring taking those photos and for whatever reason, he just went bang and hit me like I’d say three quarter punch in the stomach.”
Kadyrov’s men “would have shot” Browne if he retaliated
Getting struck by such a powerful figure in terms of worldwide political influence and being faced with the split-second decision of what to do next after that surprise strike at seventy-five percent force from Kadyrov, Browne continued [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
“I’m like, “Uh, what do I do now?” I actually asked my minder after I said, “What happens if I hit him back?” He goes, we would have shot you. Fair enough [laughs]. So like it was a definite experience there. It came to the point where like should I say no to this opportunity of a lifetime just in case or should I just go for it?”
“And that’s just the way I am. I just go for it, no matter what. So it happened. It happened. But yeah, we’re sort of living after it. I should have been a millionaire at least and and had a very different life and/or story. But my very next fight was in Australia for $10,000. So very big difference.”
After winning his bare-knuckle boxing debut at BKB 45, Browne eyes two more bouts this calendar year, ideally with aspirations to have a bare-knuckle throwdown as well as a gloved boxing bout to close out 2025.