Undefeated MMA icon Khabib Nurmagomedov finds himself in hot water once again, this time for promoting Arena Two. It is a blockchain-based sports platform that promises fans the chance to influence live matches through token voting.
Khabib’s endorsement has reignited debates about his involvement with questionable cryptocurrency ventures, particularly given his previous stance against gambling and his devout Muslim faith.
“Guys, let’s play in this tournament together!” Khabib posted on social media, announcing his participation in Arena Two’s 6-a-side football tournament scheduled for January 2026, complete with an “$8 million on the line” prize pool. The platform, which launched its social media presence just months ago in October 2024, boasts a following of under 3,000 followers.
However, fans were quick to call out the apparent contradiction in Khabib’s endorsements. Social media users flooded the announcement with criticism, with one user bluntly commenting “Haram.”
Another sarcastically wrote, “Guys, let’s scam again together!”
The backlash stems from Khabib’s well-documented history of promoting what critics describe as fraudulent cryptocurrency projects.
Previously, Nurmagomedov had promoted GMT token, a project that promised holders the ability to mine Bitcoin through NFT ownership backed by “constantly growing computing power.” The GMT token offered an unsustainable 20% fixed return to those willing to stake their tokens for three months.
The GMT project, created by GoMining, ultimately proved to be a spectacular failure. Despite promises of tangible mining hardware, NFT purchasers discovered they owned merely digital images rather than actual computing equipment.
Even more damaging to Khabib’s reputation was his involvement with the “Khabib Nurmagomedov NFT Gold cards” project in 2021. The project appears to have delivered little to no value to investors.
The irony isn’t lost on critics who point to Khabib’s previous moral stance against sports betting. The former lightweight champion had publicly denounced casinos and betting sites, stating that his promotion would never accept sponsorship from gambling companies because they “ruin lives.”
