Following the controversy stemming from racial remarks he made while in the corner of his teammate Mike Perry, Alex Nicholson was the subject of a statement released by the UFC on Thursday afternoon.
UFC addressed the comments Nicholson made about Perry’s opponent, Hyun Gyu Lim, which were viewed as racist towards the Asian community. He stated the following while talking to Perry in the Octagon immediately before the fight, a remark that was caught by the microphones in the corners of the cage designed to pick up the comments made by corner men and fighters between rounds:
“He can’t even open his motherf*cking eyes, boy,”
The statement UFC released on Thursday addresses the fact that the company has already been in direct contact with Nicholson in regards to the situation. You can read their official statement on the matter below:
“UFC competitor Alex Nicholson made a derogatory comment toward another UFC athlete while cornering his teammate, Mike Perry, at UFC 202. UFC has addressed the matter with Nicholson, as well as Perry, to express the organization’s disappointment with Nicholson’s insensitive remark. As such, the organization informed Nicholson that any future instances of this nature could result in a suspension from competition, or termination of his contract.
“UFC requires all athletes to act in an ethical, responsible and respectful manner, as mandated by the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. UFC holds its athletes to the highest standard and will continue to take appropriate action if and when it is warranted.”
In addition to the initial reaction released by the UFC, Nicholson himself also issued his first public comments on the topic, which you can view below:
I respect every man who steps in the cage and my comments were insensitive towards lim I was hype for my brother but It's all love no hate.
— Alex Nicholson (@spartanlife32) August 23, 2016