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Chinese language UFC star Li Jingliang grew to become the primary high-profile fighter to fall foul of the group’s new guidelines about displaying flags within the Octagon following his knockout win in opposition to Russian fighter Muslim Salikhov throughout final Saturday’s battle card in New York.
The world’s premier combined martial arts battle league lately introduced that fighters would now be forbidden from displaying their nation’s flag within the cage at any level throughout, after or earlier than a battle; a rule imposed by Dana White largely to stop Russian fighters from flying their nationwide flag within the Octagon.
This was, as White hinted, designed to stop a public relations headache within the wake of the varied sanctions positioned upon Russian and Belarusian athletes for the reason that starting of Russia’s navy marketing campaign in Ukraine.
“You guys know why,” White mentioned in Could, when requested for the impetus behind the rule change.
“Let’s not even play that f**king sport.”
And judging by the obvious actions of cageside officers, this can be a zero-tolerance coverage.
Fan-shot footage following Jingliang’s spectacular win final weekend confirmed the Chinese language initially celebrating together with his flag, earlier than it was rapidly faraway from him.
It stays unclear if he and his crew have been conscious of the foundations, or in the event that they smuggled the flag to the Octagon with out the information of UFC officers.
The brand new coverage appears, on the floor at the very least, to be an affront to prior statements made by White through which he mentioned that the UFC is “extra about free speech” than any comparable sports activities league.
“One of many issues that we’ve by no means completed right here on the UFC is cease folks from expressing how they really feel about sure issues inside or outdoors the Octagon,” White mentioned in 2020.
“Even when it’s me, if it’s about me. Who’s extra about free speech than we’re? We actually let our folks do or say no matter it’s they do. It’s regular.”
The brand new flag coverage seems to face in distinction to those statements – nevertheless it stays to be seen if some wiggle room might be accommodated for sure fighters on the roster.
Not allowing lower-card fighters to fly their flag is one factor; however will Conor McGregor entertain the thought of not being allowed to show the Irish flag in his future fights?
Time will inform on that one.
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