The UFC 293 event in Sydney, Australia, has been overshadowed by a major controversy involving debutant Charles Radtke, who used homophobic slurs during a octagon interview with Daniel Cormier.
This incident has put the UFC in a challenging position.
The controversy unfolded during the preliminary welterweight bout between Mike Mathetha and Charles Radtke. While the event had its moments of action, it didn’t grab significant attention until Radtke’s ill-fated interview.
After securing victory, Charles Radtke used a homophobic slur directed at the Sydney crowd. Daniel Cormier, visibly uncomfortable, promptly ended the interview.
It’s worth noting that such slurs are strictly prohibited on ESPN broadcasts, potentially leading to repercussions.
MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter highlighted the legal implications of Radtke’s comments, sharing screenshots of Anti-discrimination laws in New South Wales, where Sydney is located. These laws explicitly state that public acts inciting hatred, including homosexual vilification, are against the law.
Radtke’s comments undoubtedly discriminated against the LGBTQ community, and whether law enforcement in Sydney will choose to take action against the UFC welterweight remains to be seen.
Despite Radtke securing a significant win at UFC 293, his conduct may have cast a shadow over his achievement in the eyes of the organization.
In the aftermath of the controversy, Charles Radtke issued an apology on Twitter. However, he wasn’t the only one; Manuel Kape also used the same slur.
When asked about the incident at the press conference, Dana White commented, “That was flying around a little bit tonight. I think these guys get a little excited and make bad mistakes. Radtke did the same thing, and, you know me, we didn’t run over and say ‘you’d better apologize.’ He did that on his own. When he got backstage, he was embarrassed, got caught up in the moment… He got emotional, and we make mistakes. I am not holier than thou either; we’ve all been in positions where we’ve made mistakes. It’s how you recover from it and how you carry yourself after making a mistake. He came out and apologized of his own free will. We didn’t tell him to do anything, and the fact that he did that means he means it… I’m sure some people will accept his apology, and some people won’t.”
But despite White’s seemingly blase attitude, the promotion has allegedly previously fined people for using it.
Former UFC welterweight and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields revealed that he knew of UFC penalizing someone with a substantial financial fine after a similar incident.
This wouldn’t be the first time the promotion toed the political lines. While UFC cosies up to the right nowadays, they’ve previously penalized or cut the athletes who stepped too far outside of the conduct code.
UFC is owned by the Hollywood conglomerate WME, which has been letting UFC maintain some of their political leanings due to the fact the promotion singlehandedly held them afloat during the infamous 2020 panic.