HASBULLA Magomedov has insisted he has done nothing wrong after shocking footage emerged of him battering his defenceless cat.
The UFC star, 20, faced a tirade of backlash from disgusted viewers as the clip showed him striking the cowering feline and pulling its ear.
But Hasbulla has defended his treatment of his cat, Barsik, saying the moggy was misbehaving and he was disciplining it.
He said in a clip shared on Twitter: "Those brothers who think that I was beating the cat, pulled the ear, this and that. I pulled the ear gently.
"I know that people are waiting for the moment, if I write something wrong, to just attack me like this.
"Like, 'you do this, you do that'. She [Barsik] was misbehaving and I just pulled the ear and that's it.
"I love my cat more than you. If I didn't love the cat, I wouldn't have it at home. My most lovely animal is a cat.
"And when she disobeyed, I scolded her a little. And you are attacking me for nothing."
Hasbulla, who has seven million Instagram followers, came under fire for the video as some compared him to Premier League footballer Kurt Zouma, who was filmed kicking and slapping a cat in a video.
His treatment of Barsik comes despite him known to be an animal lover and being pictured with pets throughout his time as an influencer.
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Hasbulla – from the Dagestan region of Russia - has dwarfism and has shot to fame with his lavish lifestyle full of private jets and fast cars following his signing as a UFC ambassador.
He is known as "Mini Khabib" as he is friends with and hails from the same region as UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov.
He went viral on TikTok in 2021 and has been a cherished social media since.
Hasbulla took over the internet with his lavish lifestyle full of private jets and fast cars following the news of his UFC contract in 2022.
Chief Dana White is a huge fan of Hasbullah after meeting him at UFC 267 in the Middle East in October 2021.
Several of his photos show him traveling the world while wearing designer clothes and jewellery.
He is also no stranger to luxury cars and private jets as several of his social media photos feature the vehicles, including one where the star poses next to an orange Lamborghini.
People are also obsessed with him because of his childlike appearance.
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This stems from a genetic disorder that gives him stunted growth and a high pitched voice.
According to an interview that Hasbulla did with , he is 3ft 4inches.