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UFC president Dana White criticised fighter Bryce Mitchell for praising Adolf Hitler, among a slew of antisemitic, homophobic and transphobic comments, but said the organisation would not take disciplinary action against him.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Mitchell said Hitler was a “good guy” and denied the Holocaust during the first episode of his podcast, ‘ArkanSanity’. Mitchell, 30, is ranked 13th in the UFC’s featherweight division.
“We reached out to Bryce immediately when we read what he said, and let him know exactly how we felt about it,” White said at a news conference on Thursday.
“But what he said was beyond disgusting and he needs a real education on the facts surrounding Hitler and World War Two.”
But, citing freedom of expression, White said the UFC would not take disciplinary action against the American.
“Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the Earth, and anyone that even tries to take an opposing position is a moron,” White said.
“That’s the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.”
The UFC journalist and combat sports broadcaster Ariel Helwani, who is Jewish, said the sport had hit a “new low”.
“Each and every day MMA finds a way to reach a new low,” Helwani said in a post on X. “A new way of embarrassing itself and those who are fans of it.
He added in another post: “Nothing will be done, and I don’t even care if anything is done. Say what you want. It just continues to baffle me at how unbelievably stupid – not to mention bigoted – some of the people in the sport or associated with the sport can be.”
