Roxanne Modafferi shared her thoughts on the hot-button issue of transgender athletes in professional sports.
Trans athletes have become the subject of much debate in recent years, prompting fans and fellow athletes to weigh in on the issue. While most have remained respectful debating the topic, some individuals, like Jake Shields, have used it as an opportunity to spew hatred toward an entire group of people. The subject has been debated in the world of mixed martial arts for years, dating back to the debut of trans fighter Fallon Fox more than a decade ago.
Fox hung up her gloves in 2015 and things remained relatively quiet until the 2021 debut of Alana McLaughlin, a trans fighter who competed under the Combate Global banner. Earning a second-round submission against Celine Provost, the fight prompted fans and fighters to once again cry foul, condemning both the promotion and McLaughlin, who was assigned the gender of male at birth, for fighting a cisgender female. McLaughlin has been forced to defend herself relentlessly against a series of disgusting comments from so-called MMA fans and outspoken has-beens like Jake Shields.
Fortunately, we have people like Roxanne Modafferi who shared her thoughts on the subject with grace and respect. When prompted to deliver her take on the matter, ‘The Happy Warrior’ said:
“I’ll go! I think consent is needed,” Modafferi tweeted. “I fought men in Jiujitsu tourneys before & everyone agreed it was exhibition, not as part of the tourney lineup. However, if I entered a National comp, I’d prefer to face only Xchrom females to win my gold. I might do exhibition but not be forced.”
I’ll go! I think consent is needed.I fought men in Jiujitsu tourneys before & everyone agreed it was exhibition, not as part of the tourney lineup. However,if I entered a National comp, I’d prefer to face only Xchrom females to win my gold.I might do exhibition but not be forced. https://t.co/Bo8XSmnV3e
— Roxanne Modafferi (@Roxyfighter) May 14, 2023
Modafferi’s suggestion of consent is certainly a step in the right direction and far from the knee-jerk reactions that a lot of individuals give when attempting to broach the subject. The former UFC standout’s response generated a lot of positive reactions on Twitter. Lightweight standout Lando Vannata shared his response to Modafferi’s thoughts, suggesting that her point of view works well for combat sports, but in a team-based sport, it can be a bit more complicated.
“I think it’s easier to have this standpoint in combat sports since it’s all 1v1,” Vannata said. “When it’s a hundred plus athletes in an endurance event it’s much harder to garner the support of every competitor to abstain. I respect you pov though.”
I think it’s easier to have this standpoint in combat sports since it’s all 1v1. When it’s a hundred plus athletes in an endurance event it’s much harder to garner the support of every competitor to abstain. I respect you pov though.
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) May 15, 2023
12-time All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, the person who kicked off the entire conversation, shared her response to Modafferi’s suggestion, saying:
“100% reasonable. Thank you for using your voice. So needed and inspiring to others.”
It was certainly refreshing to see grown adults, especially athletes who have competed at the highest levels, sharing ideas on a particularly difficult subject with respect. This is clearly a testament to the love and admiration that people have for one of the pioneers of women’s MMA.
