UFC 293 plagued with homophobic slurs, Israel Adesanya walks out of presser, Conor McGregor comments on Laura Sanko: MMA News Roundup
From homophobic slurs to press conference walk-out, UFC 293 was plagued with shocks and surprises on Saturday night.
Here are the top updates after the pay-per-view event, presented by Sportskeeda's MMA News Roundup.
#3. Charles Radtke and Manel Kape make controversial post-fight speeches
UFC 293 saw some remarks by fighters, which may get them into legal trouble in Sydney.
Upon winning his UFC debut against 'Blood Diamond' Mike Mathetha, Charles Radtke raised eyebrows by dropping a homophobic slur.
Manel Kape did the same after winning a three-round war against Felipe dos Santos.
Both fighters later apologized for their actions.
MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter pointed out that homosexual vilification was a legal offense in New South Wales, where Sydney is the capital.
UFC president Dana White did not seem too bothered about Radtke and Kape's comments. He attributed it to human error when asked to comment at the press conference.
"I think these guys get a little excited and you know, you make bad mistakes... We make mistakes. I am not holier than thou either... It's how you recover from it and carry yourself after you make the mistake and [Radtke] 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. I don't make anybody apologize for anything. You do what you want. You're grown men and women... [Radtke] came back, he was embarrassed and he apologized. So, I'm sure some people will accept his apology and some people won't."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
#2. Israel Adesanya abruptly leaves UFC 293 press conference after delivering a statement on title loss
Israel Adesanya looked unperturbed having lost his belt twice in under a year. After suffering a unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland, the former champion showed up at the press conference only to make a single statement and leave.
Adesanya silenced the reporters before they could ask any questions and proceeded to give his comments on the upset loss:
"I had a different plan for this. But again, life throws curve balls at you. Win or lose, I wasn't gonna say much anyway. But right now, I lost tonight to the better man on the night and I just wanna go be with people who care about me, my team and they're waiting for me. So, I'm gonna do that."
Following the statement, Adesanya passed the microphone to his coach Eugene Bareman, who took the media questions on his behalf.
Sean Strickland was asked to comment on Adesanya's actions when he showed up on the stage. He said:
"Like, you win some, you lose some. Just man the fu*k up, you know?"
Strickland also jokingly apologized to the UFC and Dana White for becoming the new champion.
#1. Conor McGregor lauds Laura Sanko for pay-per-view commentary debut
Laura Sanko made her pay-per-view commentary debut at UFC 293 on Saturday, September 9, 2023. It marked the first time a woman served in the role in the promotion's modern era.
She earned praise from the stalwarts of the MMA world as well as the fans for her analytical skills and way with words.
Among those to commend her was Conor McGregor, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to compliment Sanko as an "incredibly refreshing addition" to the broadcasting team. Sanko responded to the Irishman's post with gratitude.