So this is a promotional video for an upcoming match between Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera. In it, Mr. Bisping calls Mr. Rivera a “faggot motherfucker,” which isn’t just offensive to gays, but to incest supporters. This, from athletes in an organization whose president Dana White has previously thrown around the word “fag,” though he says he “never intended to hurt the gay community.” But it was White who shared this very video with UFC fans on his blog — the same guy who, to deflect criticism he’s running an anti-gay league, insists, “Any guy involved in grappling is the furthest thing from homophobic in the world. I honestly think it would have no impact whatsoever with not only our fighters or our fan base [if there were out gay fighters]. The guys in the UFC, everybody is so cool, it’s great sportsmanship, everybody has respect for each other. I honestly, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn’t be a big deal for them either.” Man oh man, just when GLAAD thought they were having a good week. Maybe it’s just time to call in MMA fighter Daniel Puder?
in the ring
UFC Still Drumming Up Fan Excitement By Letting Its Stars Throw Around ‘Faggot’
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J. R. Braden
I caught a little bit of UFC on a TV in a bar a while back and thought for a brief moment that maybe the bartender was treating us to a bit of gay porn.
I’m sure they let the dreaded “f-word” fly in a desperate attempt to look heterosexual. It’s not working. And it’s really kind of hot… in a sweaty, sado-masochistic way.
DJ
What’s the problem? Half of them really are fags anyway… Sexy fags. Sexy fags covered in blood haha. Seriously those fights get crazy.
DR
Bisping has always had a chip on his shoulder. He’s a good fighter, but his attitude sucks. But it’s just a word, and you can choose not to let words hurt you, or you can choose to make a dramatic scene over it…
adman
Oh, that’s just Michael Bisping. He sucked my dick at the Man. City match because my switchblade got him all excited. Nothing to see there with that bottom boy. Unless you’re interested, then just get to talking about the nobility of family obligations and a man’s duty to his kids, the Queen, Christendom, stuff like that. Then, he’ll gobble away while the crocodile tears run down his cheek. Stupid “the ghey sex is punishment” ideation, so typical, so predictable. Boring, really. And a shitty blowjob to top it all off. So, meh.
Francis
So, are you being facetious Adman, or do we have another case of self-loathing closet case on our hands?
Anyway, no DR, it isn’t just a word. It’s a slur. And, it’s a slur loaded in anti-gay and misogynistic sentiment. As for choosing to not let words hurt you, tell that to the 15 year old gay MMA fan who hears his favorite fighter and owner of MMA using and defending the usage of faggot.
Let’s get real. Incredibly there has been some progress in the sports field when it comes to the whole gay issue, but there is still an extremely long way to go, and in the fighting field, homophobia is literally a tenant of the culture. Put pressure on the MMA leaders to make a statement against this hate speech. This cannot go unchecked.
McMike
WTF? It seems to me the ONLY reason why they included this clip in the PR segment is because it contained the word ‘faggot’.
Also, the guy who shouted it out seems like fag to me.
Nathan
Michael Bisping is an ass, fuck him and fuck Dana White for making MMA look bad like this. Don’t take this as an indictment of MMA as a whole, but the behavior of Bisping and non-response of White are disgraceful.
alan brickman
Apparently gays never use this word…..big surprise…
DR
@Francis:
No, it really is just a word, and you really can choose to say “I’m going to cry like a little victim every time someone says a mean word” or you can choose to consider the source and say “meh, he’s an idiot, who cares what he says”. I will be more than happy to tell the 15 year-old MMA fan that he has that choice. It’s certainly better than telling him to join the GLBT Sisters of Perpetual Victimhood.
And by the way, grappling and MMA were two of the most welcoming sports I ever participated in. The usual reaction was “that’s nice, now let’s see you escape this choke”. Never had anyone say anything to me about who I am. All they cared about was whether I could step on the mat and compete.
adman
@Francis: You can believe what you want, really. FWIW, I’ve been at martial arts since I was 6, and no gay experiences amongst the over the top homophobia in this subculture surprise me in the least. We are typically guys who were/are driven by over zealous, (and VERY often over-compensating) father figures to “man up” and fight.
It’s really something I enjoy immensely, but the pathology cases are everywhere, and that needs to be negotiated constantly. I met my partner at a gym, actually, and yes I have met young Mr. Bisping. And yes, he’s got zero self insight and that’s what excites him. Denial is itself a fetish to guys like him. Listen to the things he says, witness the contradictions/gaps in his logic, then do the math. It is what it is. He really can fight though. What else would occur to a guy like him to do?
BTW, Nathan is 100% correct. Dana knows that promotions tend to wind up selling a parody of martial arts once the money comes rolling in, and he just doesn’t care. Dana has his own issues, being Machiavellian chief among them. Oh well, if UFC becomes too ridiculous, some other promoter will come along anyway. Maybe by then MMA can shake this crappy unified rules system in the US. Sometimes there’s a silver lining, is all I’m saying.