Haciyev Reşit 
One of the most intense and long-running rivalries in the UFC world Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov—has now spilled over from the octagon into the blockchain arena. Tensions between the two superstars reignited after Khabib launched an NFT collection inspired by Dagestan culture. McGregor publicly accused his longtime rival of using the NFT sale to exploit traditional values and mislead fans.
McGregor: “This Is a Scam”
Irish MMA star Conor McGregor reacted sharply after social media posts claimed that Khabib’s NFT collection—modeled after the iconic papakha hat he wore throughout his UFC career—generated a total of $4.4 million in revenue.
According to McGregor, Khabib:
- Used his late father’s name,
- Leveraged Dagestan cultural symbols,
- Took advantage of his own popularity
to boost NFT sales, and then deleted all related promotional posts after the sale was complete—leaving fans feeling abandoned.
McGregor stated:
“After collecting millions from people using his late father’s name and Dagestan culture, deleting all posts cannot be a coincidence. This is a massive disrespect to his fans.”
He also described the situation as a “stain” on the legacy of Khabib’s late father.
Khabib: “McGregor Is a Complete Liar”
Khabib Nurmagomedov quickly responded, calling McGregor’s accusations “completely false and defamatory.” He insisted that his NFT collection is not a scam in any form. According to Khabib, the collection:
- Honors the papakha tradition, an important part of Dagestan culture,
- Represents a legitimate digital collectible,
- Was launched as a meaningful and valuable project.
Khabib also claimed that McGregor’s comments are nothing more than an attempt to “create buzz and take revenge for the loss in their 2018 fight.” Their rivalry has been ongoing for years, and the McGregor–Khabib clash remains one of the most heated and most-watched matchups in UFC history. This debate now shows that their rivalry has expanded into the NFT and Web3 space.
McGregor’s Crypto Background
McGregor’s involvement in the crypto world is not new. The fighter previously collaborated with Real World Gaming DAO to launch a meme token project called REAL. The goal was to combine meme coin entertainment with a transparent fundraising model.
However:
- The presale failed to meet its target,
- All collected funds were refunded to investors.
This once again highlighted McGregor’s mixed track record when it comes to crypto-related projects.
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