A UFC fighter ignited controversy this week after making inflammatory remarks praising Adolf Hitler, denying the Holocaust, and expressing hateful comments toward the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities. During the first episode of his “ArkanSanity Podcast,” UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell shockingly claimed that Adolf Hitler was a “good guy” he would “go fishing with,” a conclusion he arrived at after doing his “own research.” “I honestly think that Hitler was a good guy, based upon my own research – not my public education indoctrination. I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I’d go fishing with,” he stated.
Mitchell went on to praise Hitler for purportedly “purifying” Germany by expelling “greedy Jews,” who he baselessly accused of turning German citizens “into gays.” He asserted, “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,” adding that “they were gaying out the kicks, they were queering out the women, they were queering out the dudes.” UFC President and CEO Dana White swiftly condemned these remarks, saying, “I’ve heard a lot of dumb and ignorant [stuff] said over the years, but this is probably the worst.” In a statement to ESPN, he emphasized that “Hitler was responsible for the death of 6 million Jews and it was his intent to completely eliminate Jewish people. And that’s a guy you would want to go fishing with?”
During a recent press conference, White further denounced the comments as “beyond disgusting,” stating, “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.” He expressed concern about the impact of social media, remarking, “You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.” These abhorrent and blatantly incorrect comments from Mitchell sparked a significant reaction on social media, with one person expressing disbelief: “I am at a loss for words. I thought I had lived long enough for all of the people I heard making these kinds of statements when I was a kid, had died.”
Another user remarked, “Kudos that he chose to do his own research. But he is absolutely, categorically, and completely incorrect,” while another stated, “Adolf Hitler was a murderous, drug-consuming thug. No more, no less.” Others criticized his lack of historical knowledge, with one person quipping, “He never read a single history book if he concluded the final solution was just fine and dandy. This pea brain is the ‘indoctrinated’ one,” and yet another user lamented, “Yeah, this ain’t progress.” Despite the backlash, White made it clear that Mitchell would not face repercussions, stating, “It’s free speech. That’s the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his [butt] whooped on global television.”
