'You need to be more careful': Russian hockey star warns Khabib he has 'HUGE' responsibility not to risk violence after Macron row

Russian hockey veteran Andrei Rychagov has warned that UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's furious outburst against Emmanuel Macron could lead to violence, calling his response to the French leader's remarks about terrorism "wild".

Hugely experienced Rychagov, who played more than 700 matches in Russia's VHL professional league before joining French club Chamonix in August, has told Nurmagomedov that his enraged post about Macron to his vast social media following was dangerous.

Nurmagomedov called Macron "scum" and asked "the Almighty" to "disfigure" the French president over his defense of the right of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to publish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

“I believe that a person who is known to millions, and who has come such a long and difficult sporting path, has a huge responsibility for everything he says or does," cautioned Rychagov, speaking to sport.ru (via translation).

"You need to be more careful in your statements and actions, especially when it comes to words that can lead to violence or something similar.

"In my opinion, this is wrong."

France's terror alert level has been raised to maximum in the aftermath of the killing earlier this month of teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded by a radicalized Chechen refugee just outside of Paris.

Paty had shown schoolchildren an image of one of the cartoons from the magazine in an effort to explore the right to free speech, and has subsequently been posthumously awarded the country's highest medal of honor.

"The situation needs to be looked at from several sides," said 38-year-old center Rychagov.

"Including from [the perspective of] people who have lost their loved ones. For what?

"Just because a person decided that it would be right and his religion encourages it? It's wild, to me."

Initially posting a photo of Macron with a boot mark imprinted across his face, Nurmagomedov took to Instagram again on Saturday to elaborate on his rage to his following of more than 25 million.

"They not only insulted the feelings of Muslim believers, but also challenged the Lord of the worlds, who promised to protect his messenger from the attacks of ignorant people," wrote the fighter who had announced his retirement after successfully defending his lightweight title a week earlier.

"May Allah unleash his punishment on everyone who encroaches on the honor of the best of people - the Prophet Muhammad."

The controversy has divided politicians and sporting figures. Malaga president Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani was among those to angrily direct threats at Macron, while former Russian presidential candidate Kseniya Sobchak called the French leader "my hero" and also suggested that Nurmagomedov's response could incite violence.

England icon David Beckham and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema joined millions of others in appearing to support Nurmagomedov's words by liking them on Instagram.