LAS VEGAS—UFC CEO Dana White strongly denounced Arkansas fighter Bryce Mitchell for his inflammatory podcast comments praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, but stated there would be no punishment, citing free speech.
Mitchell, a featherweight contender, sparked outrage after falsely claiming Hitler was “a good guy” and denying the Holocaust on the ArkanSanity podcast. His comments were widely condemned across the MMA community and beyond. White, who also sits on the board of tech giant Meta, responded forcefully when asked about Mitchell’s remarks.
“I’ve heard a lot of dumb, ignorant s— in my day, but this one’s probably the worst,” White said, according to MMAJunkie. “When you talk about Hitler, who’s responsible for the death of 6 million Jews, and he tried to completely eliminate a race of people—World War II was the deadliest war in history. Fifteen million military deaths, 45 million civilians. Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the face of the earth, and anyone who even tries to take an opposing position is a moron.”
White went on to criticize social media for amplifying misinformation. “That’s the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform for a lot of dumb, ignorant people,” he added. Despite his harsh condemnation, White made it clear that Mitchell would face no disciplinary action from the UFC.
“That’s what everyone wants to hear, about punishment, but it’s free speech,” White said. “I don’t have to love it, you don’t have to love it, you know.” Mitchell’s remarks, which included Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, quickly went viral. On the podcast, he falsely claimed:
“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 further asserted that Hitler “just wanted to purify [Germany] by kicking the greedy Jews out that was destroying his country and turning them all into gays,” and dismissed the well-documented Holocaust death toll, claiming “there’s no possible way” Nazis killed 6 million Jews.
Mitchell’s comments have drawn widespread criticism from Jewish organizations, MMA fighters, and fans. However, White’s decision not to punish him underscores the UFC’s stance on allowing fighters to express personal views, even if they are widely condemned. As controversy continues to swirl, the UFC remains firm that while Mitchell’s views are repugnant, he will not face repercussions inside the Octagon.