UFC fighter Jeff Molina has come out as bisexual after a private video was leaked.
Molina released a statement in which he made it clear that he didn’t want to come out this way, but has had his hand forced by the release of the video.
The 25-year-old American MMA fighter – who is currently suspended by the UFC over allegations relating to a betting scandal – wrote: “Welp.. this f***ing sucks,
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“TLDR [too long, didn’t read]: I’m bi.”
He continued: “Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me.
“I’ve tried to keep my dating life private from social media.
“I’ve dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC."
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“I’m a pretty masculine dude and that bro-y banter and […] sense of humor has always been how I am.
“The thought of my buddies, teammates and [people] I look up to looking at me different - let alone treating me different - for something I can’t control was something I couldn’t fathom.”
The statement went on: “In a sport like this where the majority of the fans [are] the homophobic c*********s they are, I didn’t see myself doing this during this part of my career.
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“I wanted to be known for my skills and what I’ve dedicated the last 11 years of my life to and not [being] the ‘bi UFC fighter’ that I’m sure would just be translated to ‘gay UFC fighter’.
“To the awful disturbed person that decided to post this, I hope it was worth it.
“At the end of the day I know my character, morals, and who I am as a person.
“As much as I’m getting hated/s****ed on, I’m getting an equal amount of support & it means a f*** ton.”
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Molina, who has won all three fights to date with the UFC promotion, has previously worn a fighting kit that supported the Pride movement, but was abused on social media for his decision.
After wearing the rainbow-coloured gear for his fight against Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC Vegas 56 in 2022, he responded angrily to some of the reactions he got.
Molina said: “Dude, it’s f****** ridiculous. Who the f*** cares, bro.
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“Honestly, it’s not even about being an ally.
“I’m not saying I’m not but it’s just like, just be a decent f****** person. Just be a decent human being,
“Judging someone, and then trying to justify it with religion, and saying all sorts of just spiteful, hateful s*** is crazy to me, it’s mind-boggling.
“It’s like, who cares who someone wants to be with, their sexual preference, and then the irony of trying to justify it with religion – something that’s supposed to be so accepting. I was honestly shocked.
“I picked the colours because I thought it looked cool, and then also it supports a good cause.
“I’ll support any kind of community that’s been oppressed and ostracized for something they can’t help. I’ll get behind any of that,
“I just thought in 2022 people would be like a little more open-minded and not pieces of s***, but I guess I was wrong. It’s just crazy to me. People were saying some crazy s***.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Tom Wood