Hasbulla breaks silence following backlash after appearing to hit his cat

Russian internet sensation Hasbulla Magomedov has responded to criticism after footage circulating online showed him hitting his cat.

Hasbulla, 20, faced widespread dismay across social media at the footage, with viewers scolding him for the way he appeared to treat his cat in the video.

However, the Russian, who has become an online superstar in recent years owing to his own output and his continued involved with the UFC, fought back against the criticism, insisting he had done nothing wrong. 

‘Those brothers who think that I was beating the cat, pulled the ear, this and that. I pulled the ear gently,’ he said in a video released on social media. 

‘I know that people are waiting for the moment, if I write something wrong, to just attack me like this.

Hasbulla released a video of himself explaining the situation with his cat and banishing suggestions he was an animal abuser

The 20-year-old influencer said he loved his cat but was scolding him for misbehaving 

Hasbulla is one of the the internet’s most recognisable influencers after years of notoriety 

‘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.’

The footage comes a year after Premier League defender Kurt Zouma faced a more stringent backlash after one of his family members posted a video online of the West Ham player kicking his cat across his kitchen.

Footage was circulated by the influencer himself of him appearing to hit and grab his cat

Mike Tyson picked Hasbulla up like a toddler a few weeks ago – leading to mocking on the internet

Zouma was heavily criticised in the media and fined two weeks’ wages by the club, before his cats were taken by animal charity RSPCA. 

Hasbulla, who boasts over 10m followers across social media, is known to be an animal lover, having been pictured alongside an array of pets. 

He has been filmed riding a pony, with cats and also playing with a monkey. 

Part of his appeal on social media relates to his child-like appearance, which is due to a genetic disorder. He measures just 3ft4, while he also has a notably high-pitched voice.

In recent weeks, Hasbulla has gone viral online after Mike Tyson appeared to mimic biting him in a manner reminiscent of an adult greeting a toddler.

He was recently photographed court-side as the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.