Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will take part in a community outreach project for the LGBTQ community after using a homophobic slur earlier this week.
Werdum became involved in a heated argument with top UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson on Thursday, during a media lunch to promote UFC 216, and it was in that aggressive exchange in Spanish that the term was uttered.
Werdum referred to Ferguson as a “maricon” which is used as a derogatory term for homosexual men.
“Shut your mouth, you f*cking f****t,” Werdum said in Spanish, as translated by MMA Fighting. “Don’t talk to me like that, that’s not how it works. You can talk like that to your division but with me you can’t talk like that f****t.”
Werdum, who claimed the UFC heavyweight title in 2015, has since come out and apologised for his use of the word.
Maricon is common word in the Spanish culture and I do not mean to offend anyone in the LBG community and if I did I'm apologetic #heeyy
— Fabricio Werdum (@FabricioWerdum) September 29, 2017
A statement from the UFC, which you can read below, has outlined the promotion’s stance on the matter and revealed that the 40-year-old will perform community outreach in the LGBTQ community.
“The UFC organisation is disappointed with recent comments made by Fabricio Werdum at a promotional event in Los Angeles. The nature and implication of his comments do not reflect UFC’s views and will not be tolerated, no matter the manner in which they are used.
“We acknowledge and appreciate that Fabricio has since apologised to the organization and to anyone he may have offended with his words. As high profile athletes, role models, and global ambassadors of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, athletes under contract with UFC are required to abide by the Athlete Conduct Policy. Given his breach of this policy, Fabricio has agreed to perform community outreach within the LGBTQ community in Las Vegas, taking steps to enact change and make a direct impact within the community.”
