- Charlie Radtke savagely made some homophobic remarks in his post-fight interview at UFC 293 and quickly apologized
- UFC president Dana White shared his honest take on the subject
UFC welterweight Charlie Radtke beat Mike Mathetha at UFC 293 but it was his controversial post-fight comments that made him a subject of discussions in the sport. Radtke made some explicit remarks and homophobic slurs during his Octagon interview and later apologized for it. UFC president Dana White then addressed the issue.
A Lesson Learned
Radtke was evidently just trying to silence his critics but his poor choice of words enraged the majority of the MMA community. To prove that he genuinely regrets everything he said, “Chuck Buffalo” issued an apology on social media.
“Those comments are not a reflection of who I am and they don’t belong on a platform as great as what the UFC has provided me,” Radtke wrote. “My emotions were running high. It’s hard to explain the way your mind works when you’re locked in a cage to fight another man with your entire livelihood on the line. I plan to learn from my mistakes from both during and after the fight and I’m hoping I can get an opportunity to correct them in the future. Chuck Buffalo loves everybody.”
My sincere apologies to all of you watching today #ChuckBuffalo @danawhite @seanshelby @espn @espnmma @ufc pic.twitter.com/jXE9uO1JsU
— Charles Radtke (@ChuckBuffaloMMA) September 10, 2023
The boss has spoken
In his post-UFC 293 press conference, White was quizzed by the media for comments on Radtke and Manel Kape, who also did the same thing while calling out Kai Kara-France after beating Felipe dos Santos.
According to White, Radtke and Kape knew what they were doing and the UFC did not prompt them to apologize for what they said. For the UFC boss, things like that happen in MMA and there’s really nothing they can do about it.
“I think these guys get a little excited, and you know, you make bad mistakes,” White said. “Radke did the same thing. You know me, we didn’t run over to him and say, ‘You better apologize.’ He did that on his own. When he got backstage, he was embarrassed and, you know, got caught up in the moment…He felt like he was treated like sh*t.”
“We make mistakes. I am not holier than thou, either. So we’ve all been in positions where we’ve made mistakes. And like I always say, it’s how you recover from it and how you carry yourself after you make the mistake. He came out and apologized on his own free will. We didn’t tell him to do anything. And the fact that he did that means he means it. You know, I don’t make anybody apologize for anything. You do what you want. You’re grown men and women,” he added.
UFC 293 was Radtke’s debut with the promotion. He has been unbeaten at Cage Fury Fighting Championships before joining the UFC. The decision win over Mathetha saw his pro MMA record improving to 8-3.
