Bryce mitchell UFC. Photo Reproduction Twitter @bryanmitchell
Opponent of Jean Silva No. UFC 314, event held next Saturday (12), Bryce mitchell sparked international outrage by defending Adolf Hitler, denying the Holocaust and making anti-Semitic and homophobic comments on his YouTube podcast. The controversy, which lasted for months, put the organization in check and turned a fight in the octagon into a symbolic clash against the spread of hate speech. Understand how it all began!
In the first episode of the 'ArkanSanity Podcast', released in January, the 30-year-old fighter surprised by stating that Hitler was 'a good guy' based on 'his own research', far from what he called 'public educational indoctrination'.
See too
Mitchell reportedly argued that the Nazi leader fought for the country and sought to 'purify Germany by expelling greedy Jews', in addition to associating the LGBTQIAPN+ community with the 'destruction of the nation'. He then also questioned the existence of the Holocaust:
“When you realize that there was no way to cremate six million bodies, you understand that the Holocaust is not real,” he said at the time.
Dana White didn't like it…
Dana White called the comments "the dumbest, most ignorant thing" he has ever heard. When asked about the matter at a UFC press conference, the organization's president disapproved of the topic, but maintained the policy of not punishing fighters for personal opinions.
“Hitler tried to eliminate an entire race. Anyone who defends that is an idiot. It’s freedom of speech. Anyone who hates Mitchell can watch him get his ass kicked in front of the whole world,” the ‘boss’ argued.
Bryce Mitchell justified himself… or not!
Under pressure, Mitchell posted a text on Instagram. The message, however, was considered vague. Critics pointed out the lack of specific retraction regarding homophobia and anti-Semitism. Suspicions increased when it was discovered that, in the same podcast, the fighter had associated gender reassignment surgery with pre-Nazi Germany and defended internment camps for Japanese people in the United States during World War II.
“I apologize if I sounded insensitive. Many people died in the Holocaust, and Hitler did bad things. I am not a Nazi,” the fighter wrote.
Mitchell's first public appearance since the controversy took place in March, during the UFC 314. The American was greeted with boos and the chant “F*ck you Bryce mitchell”, led by the Brazilian Jean Silva. His opponent, who will face him next Saturday (12), displayed a globe to mock the American's flat Earth theories.
This wasn't the first time Bryce had drawn attention for his controversial opinions. The fighter, who claims to support Donald Trump, has previously denied the existence of gravity, accused NASA of hiding the shape of the Earth and argued that the Covid-19 virus was created in a laboratory.
You need login To comment.