In a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Sydney, Australia, UFC President Dana White addressed allegations of homophobic slurs used by two fighters, Charles Radtke and Manel Kape.
The comments, made during post-fight interviews, sparked controversy and were criticized by media outlets and fellow fighters.
American fighter Charles Radtke and Portuguese fighter Manel Kape were both accused of using homophobic slurs during their interactions with the crowd and opposing team members. Radtke, following his unanimous decision victory at UFC 293, expressed his frustration with the Australian audience, stating, "F**k all you f*****s up in the f**king crowd." Radtke's comments were perceived as a response to what he felt was poor treatment from the Australian fans.
Similarly, Kape, who also secured a unanimous decision victory, directed his comments at fellow fighter Kai Kara-France and his team. Kara-France had been scheduled to fight Kape but withdrew due to a reported concussion. Kape's remarks were laden with profanity, as he referred to Kara-France's teammates as "a bunch of f*****s."
The issue was brought to light during the post-event press conference when a journalist from MMA Junkie (USA Today) questioned White about the use of a "homophobic word." White acknowledged the inappropriate language, attributing it to the fighters' excitement and subsequent poor judgment. "It was flying around a little bit tonight. I think these guys get a little excited, and you know, you make bad mistakes," White said.
White also revealed that Radtke had expressed embarrassment and regret for his comments upon returning backstage. Radtke later issued a written apology, stating his intention to "learn from his mistakes" and affirming that he "loves everybody."
White emphasized that while he does not condone such behavior, he does not force anyone to apologize. "I don't make anybody apologize for anything; you do what you want, you're grown men and women. You know you're able to say whatever you want," White stated.
Kape also expressed remorse during his segment of the press conference. "Yeah, I am sorry for that, Kape said, according to BJPenn.com. Its emotional, you know. During the fight, during the interview, we are all emotions. We say things that we didnt want to say, but for [those] who feel bad about that, I apologize.
The incident also drew criticism from Australian UFC fighter and former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker expressed his disapproval of the offensive comments and urged his fellow fighters to "set a good example."
"They were saying some real slurry, bigotry, bad words ... things you can't say in 2024," Whittaker said, as reported by MMA News.
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