MMA Fanhouse reports that UFC president Dana White video blogged that gay fighters would be welcome in the UFC and that not only would he not have a problem with it, the other fighters probably wouldn't either.
"I honestly think it would have no impact whatsoever, with not only our fighters, but our fan base," White said. "The guys in the UFC, everybody's so cool, there's great sportsmanship, everybody's so respectful. It wouldn't be a big deal to me, and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn't be a big deal to them either."
That's a pretty cool thing to say and I can believe it.
UFC fighters are elite athletes with better things to worry about than who's gay and who isn't gay and the very nature of the sport itself engenders mutual respect between the participants because oftentimes, it is only respect and sportsmanship that stand in the way of severe physical injury (well, more than usual).
Besides, there already are gay MMA fighters in the UFC and either Dana White doesn't know about him or he's just not naming names.
When I interviewed ring announcer/comedian/actor Joe Rogan for Out Front Colorado a few years ago we had a really great, really long conversation and one of the topics was about a couple of fairly big-name UFC fighters that were gay.
It was basically an open secret.
I won't name the guys here, because it was off the record, but rest assured, gay guys have fought in the UFC, do fight in the UFC, and will continue to fight in the UFC.
If I weren't so old, I'd probably try to be one of 'em myself.
