McGregor vs Khabib NFT Drama: ZachXBT Reveals Hypocrisy in Failed Meme Coin Ventures

The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken a new turn, highlighting issues surrounding celebrity involvement in cryptocurrency. The controversy began with McGregor's criticism of Khabib's NFT project, leading blockchain investigator ZachXBT to call out McGregor for hypocrisy regarding his own unsuccessful meme coin.

Key Takeaways

The ongoing feud between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov has shifted into the NFT and cryptocurrency space.
McGregor accused Khabib of running a scam involving his NFT project, "Papakha."
ZachXBT criticized McGregor, reminding the public of his failed meme coin launch, $REAL.
Both fighters have troubled histories with crypto projects, illustrating their challenges in the digital asset space.
Recent market declines highlight the volatility and risks within the meme coin and NFT sectors.

McGregor Critiques Khabib’s NFT Collection; ZachXBT Counters

The long-standing rivalry between MMA stars Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov has reignited, this time centering around a dispute involving NFTs—a type of digital collectible. The drama started on November 26 when McGregor accused Khabib of running a “multi-million dollar scam” related to his Telegram-based NFT collection, known as the "Papakha" drop.

This NFT collection featured 29,000 digital versions of the iconic Dagestani hat that Khabib often wore during his UFC entrances. The project was promoted as a tribute to his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, celebrating Dagestani culture.

Khabib's Papakha NFTs

The Papakha NFTs sold out in just 25 hours, but backlash arose when promotional posts vanished from Khabib’s Instagram and X accounts, prompting McGregor to claim that buyers had been misled.

McGregor's Response

Khabib defended his collection as a legitimate venture, describing it as an "exclusive digital gift" representing Dagestani traditions, and he dismissed any allegations of misconduct. The exchange reignited old tensions, but the situation escalated further when blockchain investigator ZachXBT involved himself.

In a rebuttal to McGregor’s accusations, ZachXBT reminded followers about McGregor’s own failed meme coin, $REAL, which was introduced in April 2025 but only raised 39% of its target, leading to refunds for investors. This prompted ZachXBT to question McGregor's credibility in labeling Khabib a scammer when McGregor had his own crypto project fall short.

Celebrity Crypto Failures Under Scrutiny

Both fighters have a history of controversial ventures in the world of cryptocurrency. Khabib faced backlash in 2023 for promoting a questionable NFT collaboration with GoMining and received mixed reactions for endorsing the Sharia-compliant finance platform, Wahed.

Meanwhile, McGregor's track record includes the 2022 McGregor Realm NFT project and the unsuccessful $REAL meme coin. These events add fuel to their ongoing feud, as each athlete mentions these failures to make their case against the other.

ZachXBT's participation in this feud highlights a broader trend of increased scrutiny on celebrity promotions in the crypto space. In September, he released documents showing that over 150 crypto influencers had failed to disclose paid advertisements in various token campaigns, raising concerns about market integrity.

The meme coin market had been a prolific area within cryptocurrency, particularly in 2024, but faced a drastic downturn in 2025. After peaking at $116.7 billion in early January, the sector fell to $39.4 billion by November—a staggering 66% decrease—as numerous political and celebrity-driven launches suffered major losses or faced allegations of misconduct.

This drop was further exacerbated by a significant reduction in speculative enthusiasm for NFTs and low-liquidity tokens.

Market Trends

While the meme coin market recently exhibited slight stabilization, inching up to $46.64 billion with a 1.3% daily increase and a 24-hour trading volume of $5.05 billion, it remains substantially below its previous highs.

The ongoing feud between McGregor and Nurmagomedov reflects not just their personal rivalry but also highlights the growing scrutiny faced by celebrity-led crypto initiatives, especially as failures and questionable actions come to light. Recent incidents, like the $433 million BlockDAG presale tied to an undisclosed founder and the WEB3 token sale related to individuals from past NFT scams, intensify this scrutiny.