5 times UFC fighters spoke up against politicians
UFC fighters are easily some of the toughest athletes on the planet. They put their health and lives on the line every time they go out to compete in the octagon.
The courage and fearlessness shown by them inside the octagon sometimes moves into matters beyond fighting. Over the years, there have been several fighters who have not shied away from letting their political opinions be known to the public.
Fighters like Colby Covington and Jorge Masivdal have openly expressed support for former United States President Donald Trump.
Speaking in favor of someone is one thing. Some fighters, however, have gone on record to speak out against high-level politicians, criticizing them for their practices.
On that note, let's take a look at five instances where UFC fighters spoke against politicians:
#5. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya calls for Jacinda Ardern to change laws around unprovoked assaults
Israel Adesanya's last appearance in the UFC octagon took place at UFC 263. 'The Last Stylebender' took on Marvin Vettori in the main event for his third title defense. Adesanya controlled the majority of the fight and cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
In his post-fight interview, the New Zealander dedicated his win to his deceased teammate and friend Fau Vake. Vake died earlier this year after succumbing to injuries from an assault.
👹🐴🕊
When ever we head into battle.
Our fallen brothers ride with us.
Thank you Fau Vake #Fauever ❗️ https://t.co/VstXe2pTgu
In the UFC 263 post-fight press conference, Adesanya slammed the politicians of New Zealand, calling them "old-heads" who were out of touch with today's world. The 32-year-old also called for the country's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, to bring stricter laws around unprovoked assault cases. Adesanya said:
"Jacinda [Ardern], I don't know who else is in your f------g cabinet, but you know it was wrong. You know exactly what to do. I don't know what puppet master is pulling the strings, but you're the leader of the country. You handled the mosque shootings like a f------g champ, can you please do the same with this s--t too?"