Fans slam Khabib Nurmagomedov for promoting his NFT collection
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has been venturing into the NFT market since his retirement from mixed martial arts altogether. 'The Eagle' has been promoting his NFT collection by GMT that allows users to mine Bitcoin and get access to Khabib's private club, according to www.khabib.gmt.io.
The platform says that buyers can use their NFTs to attend private events that Khabib Nurmagomedov holds several times a year. The website even says that the Khabib NFT Collection will mine Bitcoins for users.
Khabib Nurmagomedov put out the following tweet announcing his NFT venture:
The Khabib NFT Collection by GMT. Hurry to get your NFTs and become part of my private community. khabib.gmt.io https://t.co/IUqjnrN5z4
A user with the handle @SalShulk replied with the following tweet:
@TeamKhabib This red flag is for you https://t.co/Hf4D6GSKEa
The caption to the user's post read:
"Khabib Nurmagomedov, this red flag is for you."
Many other users criticized the former lightweight champion's blockchain venture, telling Nurmagomedov that it wasn't a good look on him. One user accused 'The Eagle' of being a sell-out, while others expressed feelings of disappointment toward Nurmagomedov for apparently scamming millions of his followers.
Khabib Nurmagomedov last fought in 2020 in Abu Dhabi. He faced Justin Gaethje in his retirement fight at UFC 254, where he put 'Highlight Reel' to sleep with a triangle choke in the second round. Following the bout, 'The Eagle' announced his retirement from active competition at the behest of his then-recently widowed mother.
Khabib Nurmagomedov - The lightweight 'GOAT'
While Khabib Nurmagomedov made it to the top of the men's pound-for-pound list, undefeated as champion with a 29-0 record - many still argue that he isn't the greatest to ever do it. The man in contention for the 'GOAT' status, Jon Jones, himself had issues with people claiming 'The Eagle' to be the 'greatest of all time' after his spectacular MMA run.
Nurmagomedov is definitely in discussions alongside the aforementioned Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva as the greatest fighters ever to step into the octagon. However, contesting Jones' 11 title defenses might make it difficult to crown 'The Eagle' with that title.
Jonny Bones is back, so come on then, debate... 🤔
#UFC285 https://t.co/nRAmKt8LQs
That being said, there's no reason why 'The Eagle' shouldn't be considered the greatest lightweight of all time. So far, no high-profile fighter has retired with an undefeated record. Many fighters generally don't make it past 25 fights due to the grueling nature of MMA as a sport.
Having been undefeated in 29 fights and dispatching most, if not all, of his opponents with ease, Nurmagomedov forged a legacy and pathway for many fighters from the Eastern European Caucus.
It's not just the undefeated record but also the dominance with which Nurmagomedov dealt with his opponents. With finishes over the best in the lightweight division like Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier, 'The Eagle' has cemented his status as the greatest lightweight fighter to date.