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[LiberalArkie]

This message was self-deleted by its author (LiberalArkie) on Tue Feb 4, 2025, 06:47 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[Dawson Leery]

1. This is MMA. This is what they are.

Scum.

[Wiz Imp]

2. Dana White himself has said things nearly just as bad

Anyway, he embraces bigotry. Bigotry is a huge part of the product he sells.

https://www.sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-bigotry-politics-trump-hate-mma

For the UFC, bigotry is the main event
Some of the UFC’s top stars harbour xenophobic and sexist views. Instead of distancing itself from bigots, the organization uses them to sell fights.

The problem is that the UFC did give a shit once upon a time. The organization even had an official “Athlete Conduct Policy,” which deemed that UFC fighters “shall conduct themselves in accordance with commonly accepted standards of decency, social conventions and morals, and will not commit any act or become involved in any situation or occurrence or make any statement which will reflect negatively upon or bring disrepute, contempt, scandal, ridicule, or disdain to the athlete or UFC.” The UFC utilized this policy in 2013 when it suspended Nate Diaz for using a homophobic slur in a social media post.

Now, however, the policy is not worth the paper it is written on. Much of this is due to the organization’s hands-off approach to hateful conduct—a strategy motivated by the UFC’s determination to present itself as an alternative for conservative audiences dissatisfied with the rise of social justice narratives in leagues such as the NFL and NBA.

Over the past few years, UFC has become synonymous with rightwing politics due to its well-documented relationship with former president Donald Trump. As I have previously reported for outlets such as The Guardian, the organization effectively became the sports arm of the MAGA regime and was an ideal platform for Trump to espouse his political agenda.

Among Trump’s biggest supporters in the UFC is Colby Covington, a fighter who repels charisma but who rose to prominence as the personification of Trump’s MAGA politics. Covington regularly donned the infamous red hat and parroted Trump quotes during press appearances. For example, he called Tyron Woodley—a Black American fighter—a terrorist for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement ahead of their fight in 2020.