"Shame on you" - Fans slam Khamzat Chimaev's manager for denying Chechen UFC star's involvement in SMASH meme coin controversy

Khamzat Chimaev and his manager, Majdi Shammas, have found themselves in hot water after a recent scandal regarding their promotion of the SMASH meme coin. A meme coin is, as the name implies, a cryptocurrency identified with images from internet memes.

'Borz' heavily promoted SMASH across all of his social media platforms, which led to an increase in the meme coin's value to $1.35 following investments from his followers. Unfortunately, less than 24 hours later, a rapid sell-off of the meme coin led to its value dropping by 94%.

Check out Khamzat Chimaev promoting SMASH:

This led to a loss of around $1 million for investors, sparking outrage among fans, who have hit out against the unbeaten Chechen. His manager came out with a statement on X, attempting to minimize Chimaev's role in the scandal.

"I want to comment the recent reports on the SMASH meme coin. I was approached by a group claiming to be fans of my client Khamzat Chimaev. They wanted to record a short video promoting their launch. So I agreed to that, nothing more nothing less. Maybe I was mislead. Khamzat wasn't involved and know just as little as you do."

He pleaded for fan forgiveness, while promising to uncover the root of the issue.

"So the news is really unpleasant and I'm seeking an explanation from those responsible. My apologies to Khamzat and all others of you affected by this, if I could have done anything differently. Thank you for your understanding. I'll keep you updated."

Naturally, Shammas' apology was poorly received by disgruntled fans, with one stating that his and Chimaev's ignorance doesn't absolve them of guilt.

"Lack of due diligence is not an excuse."

Another fan outright accused them of being scammers.

"Scamming"

Others expressed disbelief.

"Sure thing buddy .. Sure thing .."

Some of the comments, though, were harder-hitting.

"Yeah well you ruined his public image. We all know Khamzat doesn't know Jack about crypto but you as his manager should not just accept any deal. Stupid people lost money because of you, shame on you."

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Khamzat Chimaev's manager's statement

Chimaev isn't the only combat sports figure to be linked to crypto-related scandals, though, as both Logan Paul and the always controversial Dillon Danis have.