UFC 293 proved to be a successful PPV event for the promotion, but the fight night down under in Australia may have brought in some trouble for Dana White. Not one but two fighters took the microphone to hurl unannounced homophobic slurs, and no, Sean Strickland wasn’t one of them.
Charles Radtke, in his UFC debut on the prelim card, secured a comfortable unanimous decision victory over Mike ‘Blood Diamond’ Mathetha, marking his fifth consecutive win in MMA.
However, Radtke’s post-fight speech took an unfortunate turn, which either rendered Daniel Cormier speechless or prompted producers to urgently intervene through ‘DC’s’ earpiece to halt the proceedings. “F*ck all you f*gg*ts up in the f*cking crowd! ” said Radtke.
A good way to lose your job #UFC293pic.twitter.com/K12MTp53Zd
— Jason Williams (@jasoneg33) September 10, 2023
‘DC’, then immediately pulled the microphone away from the fighter mid-sentence. However, this did not stop there, as another fighter on the same card did the exact same thing, but this time it was not directed toward the Australian fans. Angolan MMA fighter Manel Kape after beating Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision. In the post-fight octagon interview, he called out Kai Kara France, who pulled out of the fight with Kape.
Manel Kape challenged Kai Kara to a match-up and threatened to beat up his teammates if he did not show up for the fight. He then, out of nowhere, said, “All your teammates are f******”.
Will Dana White fine the fighters who said Faggot on air?
My guess is he will because I know in the past he’s caved to the Gay mafia
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) September 10, 2023
Fans are yet to see if any action will be taken against the two fighters who dropped homophobic slurs in Australia, potentially breaking Sydney’s homosexual vilification law. The UFC has previously reprimanded fighters who have unleashed homophobically motivated words inside the octagon.
Nate Diaz was suspended for using the same slur.
UFC legend Nate Diaz is known for his no-filter comments inside and outside the octagon. However, he had to face Dana White’s wrath after he called UFC fighter Bryan Caraway “the biggest f*g in the world” for accepting a bonus of $65,000.
This was because lightweight fighter Pat Healy initially received the FOTN and SOTN bonuses, but the money was taken away from him after he tested positive for marijuana. Diaz has been known for being an advocate for marijuana and took to X to call out Caraway in his own style.
The younger Diaz brother was suspended for 90 days and fined $20,000 for his comments. Fans were expecting similar treatment this time around too for the fighters who used homophobic slurs.
However, in the post-fight media event of UFC 293, UFC boss Dana White did not seem too angry with the unacceptable comments from his fighters and was of the opinion that they made mistakes in the heat of the moment. “I think these guys get a little excited and make bad mistakes, “ said the UFC boss.
While Radtke has issued an official apology for his harsh words inside the octagon, there has been no official statement made by the UFC regarding the matter till now.
