After a BBC radio broadcaster revealed that he regretted asking Fallon Fox to participate in a program due to previous disparaging comments towards her past MMA opponents , Fox has since doubled down on those insensitive takes.
After the International Swimming Federation (FINA) announced a new guideline that essentially banned transgender women from participating in women’s swimming events, the issue of transgender athletes in sports made headlines.
Fallon Fox is the first openly transgender fighter in MMA. BBC’s Justin Webb asked her to appear on BBC Radio 4’s Today show to address the story.
Due to the harsh remarks made by Fox regarding prior opponents in 2020, Webb’s choice to talk with Fox was swiftly received with reaction and condemnation from listeners.
“For the record, I knocked two out. One woman’s skull was fractured, the other not. And just so you know, I enjoyed it. See, I love smacking up TEFS in the cage who talk transphobic nonsense. It’s bliss! Don’t be mad”
After Webb’s Fox appearance, Twitter users shared images of the deleted message with him.
Webb acknowledged that he had no prior knowledge of Fox’s earlier remarks when he invited the boxer to appear on his program. Webb emphasized the importance of treating the topic of transgender athletes equitably in his reaction to one tweet telling him of the circumstance.
“I think you’re right Nikki. I had no idea (and frankly I am one of the better informed on this subject) and the producers didn’t either. We need to tackle these issues fairly but not from the ‘everyone calm down’ perspective that fails to note who is violent and who is not.”
I think you're right Nikki. I had no idea (and frankly I am one of the better informed on this subject) and the producers didn't either. We need to tackle these issues fairly but not from the 'everyone calm down' perspective that fails to note who is violent and who is not.
— justin webb (@JustinOnWeb) June 21, 2022
Fox told The Los Angeles Blade:
“It’s part of MMA culture to talk smack about opponents. You see it all the time. Only when I do it people take issue with it.”
Fox spoke to the Los Angeles Blade privately on Facebook Messenger on Saturday. She stated:
“They frame it as I’m a ‘transgender athlete who boasted of violence against women’ as if I was talking about fighting all women in the MMA cage.”
“I specifically mentioned TERFs. And I had good reason to call them that and feel that way about it. Especially since our jobs were to actually try to beat each other up.”
“I stand by what I said. Lol As a trans woman, I have no tolerance for the TERFs that are transphobic and fight in the cage. This is incorrect since I’m talking about “hitting women,” according to Justin Webb of the BBC and the Daily Mail, respectively. In the MMA cage, what do they imagine women do to one other?”
“I’m the only MMA fighter that they attack for talking smack about someone I was going to fight or have fought. Because, they don’t look at me as truly a woman.”
Fox also explained that her remarks were made primarily about Erica Newsome and Tamikka Brents. They are her prior rivals who allegedly referred to Fox’s involvement in WMMA as “unfair.” Fox used KO/TKO to beat both ladies.
Before losing to future UFC veteran Ashlee Evans-Smith on her pro-MMA debut in 2012, Fallon Fox had a perfect 3-0 record. Fox then defeated Heather Bassett with an armbar in 2014.