Sports commentator caught making homophobic comment on hot mic. ESPN hasn’t apologized.

Outside the octagon on Saturday for a pay-per-view UFC 298 event in Anaheim, veteran UFC fighter and commentator Michael Bisping was hanging with rightwing podcaster Joe Rogan and breaking down new undefeated featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, who had just taken down Alexander Volkanovski in a headline bout.

That’s when things got too gay.

Related:

Fox host applauds UFC fighter’s wildly homophobic rant about rejecting gay kids

He called a reporter a “weak f**king man” for saying he would accept his gay son, and Fox News loved it.

“15 and 0, undefeated, 13 stoppages,” swooned Bisping. “What a guy, what a night.”

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Turns out that seemingly innocuous compliment about another man was delivered with too much enthusiasm, either for Bisping’s taste or for those around him.

After a long pause, Bisping was caught adding: “That’s f**king gay.”

Days later, neither Bisping, the UFC, nor ESPN have apologized for the homophobic hot mic moment.

Bisping and many other UFC fighters are well known for their anti-gay hostility.

The veteran fighter has used homophobic language in and out of the octagon, calling opponents “fa***t” during matches (in violation of UFC rules) and making homophobic comments online.

After fellow fighter Chael Sonnen compared an upcoming fight to an Iron Man v. Captain America match-up, Bisping felt the need to tweet: “Wow, pretty gay s**t right there. Just saying.”

Other UFC fighters have been even more outspoken about LGBTQ+ issues.

In 2021, UFC mainstay Sean Strickland said, “If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness.”

When asked about it at a news conference in Canada in January, Strickland went ballistic on the offending journalist, who said he’d have no problem with a gay son.

“You’re a weak f**king man, dude,” Strickland replied. “You’re, like, you’re part of the f**king problem. You elected Justin Trudeau. You’re just pathetic.”

When asked about UFC’s partnership with Bud Light, Strickland lost it over transgender people.

“Ten years ago, to be trans was a mental f**king illness and now, all of a sudden, people like you have f**king weaseled your way in the world,” he replied to the reporter.

“You are an infection,” Strickland added. “You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f**king you.”

As with Bisping’s hot mic homophobia, neither the UFC nor their pay-per-view partner ESPN had a comment — or apology — for Strickland’s anti-gay news conference tirade.

"You ask me some stupid sh*t like that? Go f*ck yourself."

Sean Strickland went off on a reporter who pressed him on past comments about the LGBTQ community at #UFC297 media day. pic.twitter.com/wyTEcUZLbv

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 17, 2024