Cody Durden’s celebrations for his first UFC win won’t last long if the backlash is anything to go by. Moments after defeating Chinese fighter Qileng Aori via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 43, Durden said “I knew he was going to be tough but I had to send him back to China, where he came from”.
Cue outrage. Twitter lit up with Durden’s fellow fighters condemning these remarks as racist against Chinese people.
UFC Fighters React to Cody Durden’s “Racist” Post-Fight Comments
Casey O’Neill Tweeted “F*CK CODY DURDEN! Racism is never cool POS”, while Brandon Royval blasted both Durden’s comments and his fighting ability, declaring him “like the flyweight Colby, if Colby had 0 striking and ground game”. Julian Marquez had a simpler statement: “Well that dudes a c*nt.”
Durden addressed the backlash in the UFC Vegas 43 post-fight press conference. He refused to apologize, claiming there was some animosity between himself and Qileng over a perceived snub prior to the fight.
“If they don’t like it, do something. Sign the contract, it doesn’t matter to me. I said what I said and it is what it is. Yeah, emotions were high. It’s the fight business.
He’s punching me in the face and I was punching him in the face. It’s his family or mine, and tonight my family eats. Yeah, I took it personal.
He didn’t want to shake my hand, that’s fine. I didn’t want to touch gloves and that’s why he got kicked at the beginning of the fight. Business is business and we handled business like gentlemen in the cage.
I apologize if I offended anyone, that certainly was not my intention.” Durden later took to Twitter to elaborate on his comments, claiming that his words were misunderstood. OK, Cody.
“Listen, the guy was disrespectful, and wouldn’t shake my hand at the weigh ins. After beating him, I simply meant he could go home wherever that may have been. I apologize if I offended anyone, that certainly was not my intention!! I love you all! See you at the top.”
The UFC has hundreds of fighters on its roster, constantly clamoring for the press and fan attention that brings with it better fights, higher paydays, and increased profile. Some fighters, whose records in the Octagon prove mediocre, choose to manufacture controversy as a way to boost their profile.
Was Cody Durden, whose win over Qileng was his first in three appearances, honoring the old tradition of courting controversy to get some attention? Let us know in the comments.
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