Ex-UFC Contender has Homophobic Rant over Men Kissing in Commercial
A former UFC middleweight contender went on a homophobic rant while watching a UFC event over the weekend, reports the Daily Mail.
Nate Marquardt, a 43-year-old former Strikeforce champion, was outraged after seeing a commercial on ESPN+ that showed two men kissing while watching UFC Fight Night 219 with his family.
Marquardt identifies as a conservative Christian and often uses social media to express his beliefs. In the latest he tweets, he writes: "Wow disgusting commercial watching @ESPNPlus with my kids and have to tell them to look away so they don't see two men kissing! @ufc @espn#barf #disgusting."
"Despite the immediate backlash for his remarks, Marquardt hasn't deleted his tweets or made an apology. Rather, 'The Great' has doubled down on his initial comments and labelled gay people as 'disgusting' and said that homosexuality is 'destructive to society,'' adds the Daily Mail.
"Marquardt has been competing in MMA since 1999 and holds notable victories over Tyrone Woodley, Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, C.B. Dollaway and Martin Kampmann. In 2007 he fought UFC legend Anderson Silva for the middleweight strap and lost by first round knockout. The pioneer retired from MMA following a loss to Valdir Araujo at XMMA 3 in 2021. Marquardt lost four of the last five fights of his career."
But Marquardt didn't push back. When responding to tweets criticizing him, he doubled down, answering numerous tweets. In one (seen below) he continued his homophobic language:
"Not afraid of anything. Actually not afraid of homos. They need salvation just like all of us. But the sin of homosexuality is not to be tolerated." In another, he writes: "Tell them to repent of th evil of homosexuality and turn to Jesus to be saved from coming wrath."
He also wrote: "It is not hateful to say that homosexuality, pedophilia, or fornication is disgusting. It's not loving to be silent when the culture praises things that lead people to Hell (1Cor 6:9-11). It's not hateful, but loving to protect children from this world's evil demented propaganda."
Asked by another user why he was grouping these things together, Marquardt responded:
"They are all disgusting sin worthy of death. That's why people need Jesus' death on the cross to save them."
And when someone asked what he would do if one of his kids were to come out some day, Marquardt responded with "not possible."
Read some of the tweets and Marquart's responses: