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UFC's Donald Cerrone apologizes for using anti-gay slur

Andreas Hale
Donald Cerrone
(Getty Images)

UFC 200 came and went with much to discuss. Among those topics includes Daniel Cormier’s performance against Anderson Silva. Many fans were not happy with Cormier opting to put his wrestling to work despite holding a significant size advantage and the fact that Silva stepped up to face the UFC light heavyweight champion on two days notice after Jon Jones was pulled due to a failed USADA drug test.

Cormier won a clear unanimous decision but it became the topic of debate between Donald Cerrone and CM Punk during a special Q&A at the UFC Fan Expo that was titled “UFC 200 Aftermath.”

The two UFC fighters talked about how the UFC 200 fights went and things took a turn when the topic of “worst fight” was brought into the conversation.

“Your boy, DC. Terrible!” Cerrone said to Punk. After Punk inquired about what made Cormier’s performance “terrible,” Cerrone fired back a response tainted with an anti-gay slur.

“Terrible,” Cerrone said. “How are you going to give up weight and then fight like a [anti-gay slur], man?”

The surrounding crowd applauded Cerrone’s assessment and wasn’t putting much stock in Cerrone’s use of the slur, which has had him in hot water before. Cerrone once used the same word when describing Jamie Varner in a 2010 interview with Tapout Radio while also suggesting that he hoped his fight with Varner would result in the “first death in MMA.”

Cerrone apologized, but only for the death threat.

According to MMA Junkie, a senior UFC official commented that the organization was “incredibly disappointed” by Cerrone’s comments. It certainly doesn’t help matters that this comes after the UFC celebrated its first openly gay champion as Amanda Nunes won the UFC women’s bantamweight title from Miesha Tate in the main event of UFC 200. The UFC also recently launched a “We Are All Fighters” initiative in support of the LGBTQ community.

Cerrone later took to his Instagram to apologize for his comments while wearing one of the rainbow colored “We Are All Fighters” shirts.

“Earlier today, I said something that was offensive & I’m truly sorry,” Cerrone said in the post, which was later deleted. “I’ve got so many friends and fans in the LGBTQ community who I let down today. I can and will be better because I respect the community and equality matters!#WeAreAllFighters”