Israeli MMA fighter Haim Gozali has published a shocking photo of an explosive projectile with the names of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Khamzat Chimaev and Belal Muhammad written on it.
The weapon, believed to be an artillery shell, is intended for use by the Israeli military against Hamas in the current conflict.
All of the UFC fighters named on the shell are Muslim, with Gozali adding: ‘This is from me to the [rat emoji].’
The post has been removed from social media platform X, formerly Twitter, for violating the platform’s rules.
However, it has been widely shared and panned by opponents of the war in the Middle East.
Gozali (pictured) is an experienced MMA fighter who calls himself the ‘Israeli Batman’ and has served in his country’s military
The original post from Gozali was removed by X for violating its rules, but has been widely shared and panned by third parties
UFC fans were quick to slam Gozali for his post.
‘It’s definitely not smart to poke Khamzat,’ one wrote.
‘Maybe someone should remind him what happened when someone called Khabib’s father a terrorist,’ added another.
That post references a time when Conor McGregor infamously called Nurmagomedov’s manager a ‘terrorist snitch’ and his father a ‘quivering coward’.
Nurmagomedov would go on to dominate McGregor at UFC 229 with a massive overhand right in the second round, before submitting him in the fourth.
Gozali, also known as the ‘Israeli Batman’, is an Israeli mixed martial artist who made a name for himself in Bellator MMA and is renowned for his skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Born in 1973, he holds a fifth-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu he earned under famous fighter Renzo Gracie.
Over his career, he competed in middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, achieving a record of 15 wins and six losses.
Gozali also previously served in the Israel Border Police during his military service.
Gozali’s post has drawn harsh criticism from MMA fans
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (left, before his fight with Conor McGregor, right) is named on the shell
An unprecedented attack on Israel was launched by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, during which hundreds of gunmen infiltrated communities near the Gaza Strip.
This assault resulted in the loss of more than 1400 Israeli lives. The Israeli military reported that 230 soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were taken as hostages to Gaza.
In response, the Israeli military conducted air and artillery strikes in Gaza, resulting in the tragic deaths of more than 8000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.
As part of the conflict, Israel has imposed restrictions, including cutting off electricity and most water to the area and stopping imports of food and medicine.
However, they have allowed several dozen aid trucks to enter through Egypt’s Rafah crossing since Saturday.
Pictured: The exchange between Gozali and Khamzat Chimaev on Instagram, which has since been deleted from the social media platform
Gozali has also recently been involved in a war of words with Chechen-born UFC star Khamzat Chimaev, whose name was included on the list the Israel fighter put on the bomb intended for Hamas.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Chimaev wrote: ‘You are just guests of Palestine’ respect them for giving you asylum. One day they will expel you from Palestine, Inshallah. Bring me the strongest man in Israel, I will break him.’
Gozali replied: ‘I’m not the strongest man in Israel but I dare you to come and ‘try’ break me any day! I know you have a contract with the @ufc and I couldn’t care less so I challenge you to a bare knuckle fight or Grappling…your choice!!!! Waiting for you if you even dare.’
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