Key takeaways:

• UFC President Dana White criticized Bryce Mitchell for praising Adolf Hitler and downplaying the Holocaust.
• White stated that while the comments were "beyond disgusting," there would be no disciplinary actions due to freedom of expression.
• Mitchell made his remarks during the debut episode of his podcast, expressing controversial views about Hitler's actions and motivations.
• The backlash includes criticism from within the MMA community, with Israeli fighter Natan Levy expressing outrage.

UFC President and CEO Dana White has publicly condemned remarks made by featherweight fighter Bryce Mitchell during an episode of his podcast, “ArkanSanity.” In these comments, Mitchell described Adolf Hitler as a "good guy" and questioned the historical reality of the Holocaust, referring to it as a myth. White characterized Mitchell’s statements as "beyond disgusting," emphasizing the significant historical impact of Hitler's actions, which resulted in the death of six million Jews during World War II. He remarked, "I’ve heard a lot of dumb and ignorant (stuff) said over the years, but this is probably the worst," and highlighted the responsibilities that come with public discourse.

Despite this condemnation, White confirmed that the UFC would not impose any disciplinary measures on Mitchell, citing freedom of expression. White stated, “You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people,” reflecting on the challenges the internet poses to responsible speech. Following these remarks, several MMA fighters, including Israeli fighter Natan Levy, criticized Mitchell’s views and demanded accountability, with Levy stating, "You can call me a greedy Jew to my face and we'll see what's up."

Conversely, former UFC fighter Jake Shields defended Mitchell, arguing about double standards in societal reactions to political figures versus historical ones. The incident, taking place in an environment of rising tensions around free speech and hate speech, continues to spark debates within the MMA community and beyond.

For further information, you can view the full commentary from The Guardian and Reuters.