UFC fighter Yoel Romero gave a post-fight interview Saturday that critics claim was bigoted, while Romero defends himself saying his words were misunderstood.
Romero, a Cuban immigrant, usually requires a translator for interviews, but went at this one alone.
“I’m trying English, so I’m sorry if the people don’t understand me, but I’m trying,” Romero began. “Hey, hey UFC! Hey Miami! Hey Florida! Listen people, listen! Listen! What happened to you, USA? What happened to you?”
“What’s going on you, forget you’re the best, the best of the world, the name is Jesus, God. What happened to you?” he asked. “Why come, USA? Go. Go back for you, go. Go for Jesus, not forget Jesus, people.”
Some thought that Romero instead said, “Go for Jesus, not gay Jesus, people.”
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In a later press conference, with a translator, Romero defended his comments, saying they were misunderstood.
“First of all, I would like to apologize — there was a misunderstanding,”said Romero, “First of all, I’m a man of God, and God is love. My expressions are always going to be about love. What I was trying to say in the octagon was, ‘Look for the American Dream.’ There was a misunderstanding about gay marriage.”
He said he is not in a place to judge anyone.
“God told Mary Magdalene, ‘You’re a prostitute. Go and don’t sin anymore.’ And he told her with love. Who am I to judge anybody?” he asked. “Even though I didn’t refer to that, even though there was a misunderstanding, I will tell you guys something. God made man to be free. Anybody can do whatever they want. I wouldn’t be the type of person to critique anybody. I’ve got to look at myself first. Be a better person. To be able to love people.”
Romero who won medals representing Cuba in the Olympics before defecting in 2005, says,” I didn’t refer to anybody. What I was trying to say, was, ‘United States, thank you for giving me the American Dream.’ There’s no better country than this one because it is blessed by God. It’s in the dollars that this country was made by Christian people. That means it’s blessed by God.”
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