Democrats in Florida have condemned a professional mixed martial arts event in Orlando at which an openly racist fighter derided his beaten opponent as “a short little fucking Jew prick”, and a spectator was ejected for waving a giant swastika flag.
Anna Eskamani, a Democratic state representative running to become the city’s mayor, said Saturday’s event, and the assertion by city officials that they were compelled to host it, were unacceptable.
“This is another reminder of how prevalent extremism is in our society, and of the responsibility every one of us carries to combat antisemitism, racism, white supremacy and hate in all its forms,” she said in a statement to the Guardian.
“It is also a reason for the Kia Center, and all public venues, to re-evaluate their rules. The first amendment is broad, and I take it seriously, but conduct that invites and incites violence is a different question, and every angle should be explored to prevent this from happening again.”
The Duel Arena kickboxing event at the downtown venue featured a headline fight between Paul Miller, a convicted felon and self-professed antisemite who served prison time for weapons offenses, and Ben Azoulay, a Jewish “manosphere” influencer who has a conviction for the sexual assault of a ۱۵-year-old girl.
After the fight was over, several brawls broke out in the crowd. Miller, who goes by the nickname of the gypsy crusader, assailed Azoulay over the arena’s loudspeaker system using the racial epithet and appeared to give at least two Nazi salutes from the ring.
On Tuesday, Orlando Venues, a division of the city’s government that runs the ۱۸,۵۰۰-seat arena, released a statement claiming that it was compelled to host the controversial event and defending what it said was the participants’ constitutionally protected right of expression.
The city’s statement, posted on the X account of the Kia Center, said in part: “As operators of public venues, the City is bound by the First Amendment. This means we cannot deny access because we disagree with the political ideology, opinion, or perspective, irrespective of the message.”
It added that the views of the participants “do not reflect the views of Orlando Venues, the City or Orlando, or our staff” and added that it took community concerns seriously.
But it said it would continue to review its event policies only “while respecting the Constitution”.
The City of Orlando, and Orlando Venues, did not address further questions from the Guardian about the event, including how a person with a large swastika flag was able to gain access to the arena in contravention of the Kia Center’s strict admittance policies.
Buddy Dyer, the Orlando mayor, said in a statement that the city rejected the messaging of the fighters.
“Symbols of hate, including the Nazi flag, were brought to Kia Center this weekend. But hate will never be welcome here,” he said. “Our community will continue to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate to ensure that Orlando is a place where every person is valued and respected.”
Kia, in a statement, also condemned the incident. “As Kia America is the naming rights partner of the Kia Center, we are not involved in its operations or security protocols,” a spokesperson said.
“However, we appreciate the prompt action taken by venue personnel to address the situation. Such behaviors are in stark contrast to the values of respect and dignity that we, and our employees, fully support and promote.”
Rick Scott, a Florida Republican US senator and former governor, said in a post on X that Saturday’s events were “extremely disturbing”.
He said: “Antisemitism has no place in Florida.”
Miller, according to the Anti-Defamation League, is a far-right extremist and white supremacist who used the gypsy crusader moniker on inflammatory social media posts long before his transformation into a mixed martial arts fighter.
In ۲۰۲۱, the US attorney’s office for the southern district of Florida noted he had called for a race-based civil war before his ۴۱-month prison sentence for illegal possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Azoulay, meanwhile, has his own controversial past. In February, California’s Beverly Hills unified school district apologized for allowing him to address a Jewish student club at the city’s high school.
Azoulay was convicted in ۲۰۱۱ in relation to the rape of a minor, and maintains an Instagram account with more than half a million followers. His misogynistic social media commentary has included advice for women to “keep a man’s belly full and his balls empty” in order to keep him.
“Some of the views espoused by this man which I’ve seen on social [media] are abhorrent,” Alex Cherniss, the district’s superintendent, said in a statement at the time. “Had the principal or district known ahead of time, he would have never been approved to speak to this student club.”
Several school board members further apologized at a heated subsequent meeting in April.
