UFC star denies association with Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov

'Never met the guy,' Gaethje wrote in a tense Twitter exchange with Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy. However, when presented with a weeks-old tweet showing him firing guns with Russian solders in Chechnya 'at the invitation' of Kadyrov, Gaethje appeared to acknowledge the controversial trip: 'Went for the kids (sic) birthday party. I also like to shoot guns.'