Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people who are enduring the siege in Gaza amidst the escalating violence between Hamas and Israel. Several other UFC fighters, such as Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad, and Khamzat Chimaev, also extended their empathy towards Palestine amidst the ongoing and distressing conflict.
The ongoing horrific situation in Israel and Gaza was triggered when Hamas, a Palestinian group governing Gaza, launched an unprecedented assault on Israel, resulting in casualties and the abduction of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu articulated a clear objective to dismantle Hamas's military and governing infrastructure and secure the release of the hostages.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated retaliatory strikes on Gaza, resulting in a significant loss of innocent lives. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is intensifying, with a potential public health catastrophe looming due to shortages of medical supplies and fuel.
Amidst the ongoing distressing events, Haim Gozali, an Israeli MMA fighter who has previously competed in Bellator, shared a profoundly insensitive post concerning Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and several other Muslim fighters.
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Gozali took to Instagram to post an image depicting a missile inscribed with the names of prominent Muslim UFC fighters such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Khamzat Chimaev, and Belal Muhammad with the accompanying caption that read:
"This is my message to the [rat emoji]."
Check out the post below (Content Warning: The tweet and offensive message discussed below contain potentially triggering content. Please proceed with caution):
The insensitive tweet and offensive message provoked a strong backlash from outraged fans, who vented their anger in the comments section. One fan wrote:
"Would sh*t his pants if he'd see them face-to-face."
Another fan wrote:
"That's evil."
Yet another fan wrote:
"What a sc*m bag."
Check out some of the reactions below:
Former UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov condemns Israeli attack as "genocide"
Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed his solidarity with Palestine and strongly criticized the recent missile strike on a Gaza hospital. In a statement posted on Instagram, Nurmagomedov described the attack as an act of genocide.
He emphasized that bombing a hospital housing children and refugees does not contribute to the path of peace. He further conveyed that no one should suffer bombings simply because of their place of birth.
Khabib Nurmagomedov took to Instagram to deliver a strong message amidst the ongoing conflicts, writing:
"Bombing a hospital full of children and refugees is not a pathway towards peace. This is genocide.”
Nurmagomedov also wrote:
"No one deserves to be bombed just because they were born where they were born."
Check out the post below: