Look the bar for MMA fandom is pretty low. When it was announced that the UFC would celebrate Pride month by sponsoring Outsports Pride event at the NYC Pride parade this weekend, we expected the worst from MMA fans.
MMA fans online aren’t exactly subtle with their political opinions on race, religion and sexuality.
This weekend Outsports Pride will bring over 150 LGBTQ athletes, coaches and others in sports together at New York City Pride. The UFC, NFL, Nike and the Los Angeles Dodgers are teaming up with Outsports as event partners to continue their commitment to inclusion in sports.
UFC is sponsoring the event and is also the presenting sponsor of Outsports’ NYC Pride March contingent. UFC women’s strawweights Nina Ansaroff and Tecia Torres, along with women’s flyweight Sijara Eubanks, will be joining Outsports for the Pride March.
You know what? Everyone anticipated the worst from the MMA community.
If you need another reason to be embarrassed to be involved with MMA, go read the comments on any of the UFC’s social media posts about Pride Month. Truly sickening.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) June 25, 2018
and this
I made the terrible mistake of reading the comments on the UFC’s NYC Pride March photo. Glad the company and its athletes are representing there, though.
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) June 25, 2018
We went in expecting to write a story about a mountain of UFC fans with their pitchforks out, attacking the MMA promotion for their support of Pride month and their own athletes. Then we actually looked into the tweets the UFC posted on their Twitter page and it wasn’t all that bad.
We’ve seen worse and for the most part, besides a few bad apples, online MMA fans were very supportive of the UFC’s presence at NYC Pride parade.
✈️ NYC Pride 🌈 #GirlThings See you soon nene!! @ninaansaroff @cheywarprincess So ready for our unexpected girls weekend! Thanks @ufc pic.twitter.com/n7nQN5jyHU
— Tecia Torres (@TeciaTorres) June 23, 2018
NYC Pride here we come! 🙂 @NinaAnsaroff pic.twitter.com/77Hgk1KWxe
— Tecia Torres (@TeciaTorres) June 24, 2018
So many inspiring people marching with us today for LGBTQ equality in sports! #pride #OutsportsPride pic.twitter.com/3UVjQ9MoHQ
— Outsports (@outsports) June 24, 2018
Was not expecting that. Good on you MMA community for exceeding our very low expectations of you. Also, props to the UFC for sponsoring and supporting their athletes at this weekend’s event.
Update: Welp…..when the hell did the IG comment section turn into a weird 4chan wormhole?!?!
