Khamzat Chimaev's team issues apology for SMASH meme coin scam, claim to be 'misled'

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager apologized for his client’s involvement in the SMASH meme coin scam.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) came under fire this week after his social media accounts promoted a crypto meme coin called “SMASH.” The push from Chimaev’s sizeable led the crypto coin to increase in value, however a dramatic drop the following day led people to believe that they were scammed out of their money.

Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas insists Chimaev was not involved. He clarifies that they were merely misled. The posts have since been removed from Chimaev’s social media accounts (via X):

“I want to comment the recent reports on the SMASH meme coin,” Shammas wrote. “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. 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.”

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…

— Majdi Shammas (@MajdiShammas) July 7, 2024

A member of the team working on the “SMASH” token also released a statement under Chimaev’s social media, denying that they scammed anyone.

“Regarding the supply, yes, we sniped 80 percent of the supply and we still own almost 80 percent of the supply,” an unnamed man said in a video on X. “We did not sell, we were not the cause of the major downfall that happened in the token. Everything is public, you can track all wallets. There is no scam that has been happening. It’s simply people that bought early that sold very late and took profits, and not us. Neither is it Khamzat’s team nor us who caused that.”

Hi guys!

I would like you to pay attention to this video and get answers to all your questions in your head.

Take a little of your time to clear up all misunderstandings! pic.twitter.com/5G08ZpiO5t

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) July 9, 2024

Chimaev, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, has not competed since UFC 294 in October, where he earned a majority decision win over former UFC champ Kamaru Usman.

The 30-year-old was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker in the UFC on ABC 6 headliner this past month in Saudi Arabia, but withdrew due to illness that has his placed questions around his UFC future.