March 8, 2024; Austin TX; Conor McGregor speaks to press on the red carpet before the premiere of Roadhouse at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on the first day of South by Southwest, Friday, March 8, 2024. McGregor plays the character “Knox” in the movie.. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-USA TODAY NETWORK

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Conor McGregor Calls Out Khabib Nurmagomedov For Launching Digital Papakha Merchandise

The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov will apparently never die, no matter how many years pass. Their 2018 fight at UFC 229 remains one of the most watched events in MMA history. The bad blood from that night spawned a massive brawl after Nurmagomedov won. Since then, both fighters have somewhat retired from active competition, but the animosity clearly hasn’t faded one bit.

McGregor stays active on social media, commenting on everything happening in the MMA world and beyond. He’s never been shy about sharing opinions, starting feuds, or reigniting old ones. Nurmagomedov has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since retiring undefeated, focusing on coaching and business ventures. But when those business ventures involve cryptocurrency and digital merchandise, things get messy fast.

Conor McGregor Takes Aim At Khabib Nurmagomedov For The NFT Controversy

McGregor went off on social media, expressing disbelief that Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) would use his father’s name and Dagestan’s cultural symbols to sell digital NFTs. The papakha is a traditional sheepskin hat worn in the Caucasus region, particularly significant in Dagestani culture. ‘The Eagle’ famously wore one during many of his UFC appearances, turning it into a recognizable symbol of his heritage and identity.

According to McGregor’s accusations, Khabib launched a digital merchandise line featuring papakha NFTs, marketed them heavily using references to his late father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and then allegedly deleted the content after fans purchased them. McGregor called it a scam that stains his father’s name. In a now deleted tweet, he wrote that there’s no way the supposed good guy Khabib would use his late father’s name and Dagestan’s culture to essentially rob fans of their money.

“What a shame and a stain on his father’s name. Just wow! To scam fans using his father and his country’s culture is just so low. Father’s plan has now become Father’s scam. Very sad.”

The “Father’s plan” reference comes from Khabib’s frequent mentions of following his father’s vision throughout his career. Abdulmanap was Khabib’s coach and mentor who passed away in 2020. McGregor twisted that phrase into ‘Father’s scam,’ claiming Khabib dishonored his father’s legacy by allegedly misleading fans with these digital products.

NFTs and cryptocurrency projects have become controversial in recent years. Many celebrity-endorsed NFT drops have been criticized as cash grabs that leave fans holding worthless digital items. The technology itself remains divisive, with supporters seeing future potential and critics viewing most projects as speculative bubbles designed to separate people from their money.

(Image Credit: Sara Diggins – Imagn Images)

Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!