Las Vegas, NV—Women’s advocates delivered a petition on Friday to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) parent company Zuffa LLC in Las Vegas, NV and to UFC broadcaster FOX Sports Media Group in Playa Vista, CA. The petition was signed by individuals from 78 women’s organizations and supporters from 47 U.S. states and 24 countries and called on the UFC to “adopt, enforce, and make publicly available a code of conduct that holds UFC fighters and company representatives accountable for actions or remarks against women.”
In Las Vegas, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, PhD student and sociology instructor Jennifer Reed, led the delegation. She said “We don’t want our brothers, boyfriends, partners, husbands, sons believing that the abusive comments that company representatives and fighters have made against women are acceptable.” Petition supporters were met at the Zuffa offices by a security guard who refused to allow the delegation to speak with an executive of the company. The security guard accepted the petition and said that it would be delivered to company executives.
In Playa Vista, supporters delivered the petition to FOX Sports Media Group, where security would not allow them to speak to an executive. The delegation expressed concern with the denigration of women that has been “tolerated by the UFC for far too long.” When the delegation presented the petition to an individual who appeared to be a security guard, he told another security guard to “throw it in the trash.”
Supporters of the petition include the National Organization for Women and nine of their chapters, three YWCAs, seven state coalitions against domestic violence, the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, End Violence Against Women International, the National Council of Women’s Organizations, and The National Organization for Men Against Sexism. Complete list here.
The UFC is the leading promoter of professional cage-fighting in the world. Its fights are broadcast in over 149 countries and territories to nearly a billion homes worldwide. Disturbingly, UFC fighters have joked about rape, and fighters and UFC representatives have used foul and abusive language that is particularly demeaning to women.
A live UFC event on the Fox Network in January included a main card fighter who posted a "how to" rape video on the internet last year, in which the fighter advises viewers to buy zip ties and chloroform to help his target "relax." This video is shocking, although some may see it as purely provocative and satirical. Another UFC fighter recently tweeted the following comments: "Man that b***h is so tough she uses a wooden dildo because she likes the splinters!" and "Condoms are for p*****s! …." And in 2011, UFC President Dana White told a UFC fighter on Twitter to “put [his girlfriend] on a f****n leash!!!” These are just a few examples of misogyny that the UFC has tolerated from people associated with it.
“Most fans of the UFC are young men and the company markets itself to children,” said Deborah D. Tucker, Executive Director of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, a petition signatory. “Young men and children should not be exposed to a sports entertainment culture that fails to hold these fighters accountable for rape jokes. The company’s own president has made demeaning comments about women.”
The petition will also be sent to UFC sponsors including Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light, Harley Davidson, Dodge, MetroPCS, Edge Shave Gel, SafeAuto, Toyo Tires and Boston Pizza.
