In a recent interview, rising UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev addressed the controversial SMASH meme coin scandal, placing the blame squarely on his manager’s shoulders. The undefeated fighter, who hasn’t competed since his UFC 294 victory over Kamaru Usman in October 2023, had previously endorsed the crypto project, which ultimately resulted in significant losses for early investors.
Chimaev’s endorsement of the SMASH token, which was built around his famous catchphrase “I will smash everyone,” drew considerable attention from the MMA community. However, the token’s value plummeted by a staggering 96% within just 24 hours, leaving many early users feeling betrayed and lashing out at Chimaev and his team.
In the interview with Aslanbek Badaev, Chimaev acknowledged his manager’s role in the fiasco, stating, “Well, my manager… you can say acted stupidly, and I also made a mistake in this crypto. I don’t understand [crypto] at all, I trust my manager… Like any other athlete probably doesn’t know what crypto is and how it works, I don’t know for sure. I don’t even have time to look at what it is.”
Chimaev’s manager had previously attempted to address the issue, claiming that the fighter “knows just as little” as the fans and apologizing for the hasty decision, stating that he was “mislead.”
However, Chimaev seems determined to rectify the situation, asserting, “Well these people [who proposed the idea] are lost now. Now we are looking for them. We will find the others and make them apologize for it.”
The SMASH meme coin controversy has undoubtedly cast a shadow over Chimaev’s otherwise promising career, with the fighter acknowledging his own culpability in the matter. As he looks to move past this incident, Chimaev’s focus will likely shift back to his long-awaited return to the Octagon, where he hopes to continue his dominant run in the UFC’s middleweight division.
