McGregor’s NFT Jab at Khabib Backfires Spectacularly in Crypto Clash

Conor McGregor just learned the hard way that talking crypto trash comes with consequences.

The Notorious One fired the opening shot—launching an NFT collection while taking direct aim at longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor's digital assets featured mockery of the undefeated fighter, complete with timestamped taunts and blockchain bravado.

But the crypto community fired back harder.

Within hours, blockchain sleuths uncovered McGregor's own questionable crypto history—failed token launches, abandoned metaverse projects, and that embarrassing moment his 'official' cryptocurrency endorsement turned out to be an unlicensed security. The very technology McGregor tried to weaponize against Khabib became his own undoing.

Another celebrity learning that blockchain's transparency cuts both ways—especially when your own ledger needs auditing.

TLDR

• Conor McGregor accused Khabib Nurmagomedov of scamming fans with a $4.4 million NFT sale featuring digital papakha hats
• ZachXBT called out McGregor’s hypocrisy, referencing his failed REAL memecoin launch in April that raised only 39% of its target
• Khabib defended the NFT drop as legitimate digital gifts celebrating Dagestani culture and called McGregor a liar
• McGregor’s REAL token used a sealed-bid auction system but failed to gain traction and all funds were refunded to participants
• The memecoin market has declined to $39.4 billion, losing $5 billion in one day and reaching 2025’s lowest level

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov have reignited their rivalry on social media over cryptocurrency ventures. The UFC stars clashed after Nurmagomedov launched an NFT collection on Telegram.

McGregor criticized his former opponent for an NFT drop featuring digital papakhas. These are traditional Dagestani hats that Nurmagomedov wore during UFC events.

The collection reportedly generated around $4.4 million in sales. Nurmagomedov deleted promotional posts after the sale concluded.

McGregor wrote in a now-deleted post that Nurmagomedov used his late father’s name and Dagestani culture to scam fans. He claimed fans were robbed of their money after promotional content disappeared.

Nurmagomedov responded by calling McGregor a liar. He said the NFTs were legitimate digital gifts with real value created to celebrate Dagestani tradition.

ZachXBT Points Out McGregor’s Failed Token Launch

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT quickly responded to McGregor’s criticism. He pointed out that McGregor attempted his own cryptocurrency launch earlier this year.

There is just no way good guy McGregor used his reputation, as well as Irish culture, to scam his fans and fire sell a bunch of digital tokens’s online and then delete all of the posts after they were sold, leaving his fans robbed of their money?

There is just no way good guy… pic.twitter.com/CuUzvPGiKS

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) November 26, 2025

McGregor partnered with Real World Gaming DAO in April to launch a memecoin called REAL. The token used a sealed-bid auction system to prevent price manipulation from trading bots.

The REAL token offered staking rewards for holders. The project aimed to combine memecoin appeal with utility and transparent fundraising.

The presale failed to meet its goals. It raised only 39% of its target launch amount.

McGregor’s team refunded all participants after the failed launch. The token struggled during a broader crypto market downturn and memecoin bear market.

Memecoin Market Faces Steep Decline

The memecoin sector performed well in 2024 but has declined sharply in 2025. Several high-profile launches failed or were called rug pulls.

Projects endorsed by US President Donald TRUMP and Argentina’s President Javier Milei saw values plummet after launch. These failures hurt confidence in the memecoin market.

The memecoin market cap fell to $39.4 billion on Friday. This marked the lowest level recorded in 2025.

The market lost up to $5 billion in a single day according to CoinMarketCap data. The decline started in December 2024 and has continued into this year.

McGregor deleted his original post criticizing Nurmagomedov. The two fighters previously faced each other in a 2018 UFC match that Nurmagomedov won.