UFC president and CEO Dana White criticized Bryce Mitchell for making anti-Semitic and homophobic comments on a podcast during which the featherweight also praised Adolf Hitler and denied the Holocaust.
But, citing freedom of expression, White said the organization would not take any disciplinary actions against Mitchell.
“I’ve heard a lot of dumb and ignorant shit said over the years, but this is probably the worst,” White said in a statement released by the UFC. “First of all, when you talk about Hitler, he was responsible for the death of 6 million Jews and it was his intent to completely eliminate the Jewish people.”
White said the UFC let Mitchell know what he said was unacceptable.
“Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the Earth, and anyone that even tries to take an opposing position is a moron,” White said. “That’s the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.”
Mitchell, who competes in the featherweight division of MMA’s largest promotion, made the comments on the first episode of his ArkanSanity Podcast, where he suggested that Hitler was a “good guy” who “fought for his country”.
“Here’s what I say about [Elon Musk] heiling Hitler, heiling the Nazis: I really don’t think that he was, because I honestly think that Hitler was a good guy based upon my own research, not my public education indoctrination,” Mitchell said.
He added: “I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I’d go fishing with. He fought for his country. He wanted to purify it by kicking the greedy Jews out, that were destroying his country and turning them all into gays. They were gaying out the kids. They were queering out the women. They were queering out the dudes. Do you know where the first tranny surgery ever was? Happened to be in Germany before Hitler took over.”
Despite views White described as “dumb and ignorant”, the longtime UFC head defended Mitchell’s right to express them.
“It’s free speech,” White said. “That’s the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television.”
