UFC fighter Jeff Molina responds to backlash after sporting LGBT+ symbol to celebrate Pride month

Molina was raising money for the LGBTQIA+ Center of Southern Nevada

Jeff Molina sported an LGBT+ symbol on the left side of his shorts (Zuffa LLC)

UFC flyweight Jeff Molina has said he thought people would be ‘more open-minded’ about his decision to include an LGBT+ symbol on his shorts during his win against Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

Molina, 24, achieved a split-decision victory over Zhumagulov at a Fight Night event in Las Vegas on Saturday, all the while sporting an LGBT+ symbol to raise money for the LGBTQIA+ Center of Southern Nevada and celebrate Pride month.

Addressing the matter ahead of his fight, Molina said: “To all the dudes sliding in my DMs, I’m a straight guy but pshhh I’m flattered! For all the homophobic dudes upset by me repping pride month on my fight kit, y’all some fruit cups.”

After his victory, the American told reporters: “I picked the colours because I thought it looked cool, and then also it supports a good cause. I’ll support anything of a community that’s been oppressed and ostracized for some time for something they can’t help.

“I’ll get behind any of that. It wasn’t that long ago that there was school segregation, and that was like less than a person ago; something like Stonewall, that was like 50 years ago. That’s not even a whole person ago, man – this is recent s***.”

Addressing backlash to his decision to sport the LGBT+ symbol, Molina continued: “I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of s***, but I guess I was wrong. It’s just crazy to me.

“People were saying some crazy s*** and like, dude, what would you do if your kid’s gay? Mind your own business, it doesn’t concern you. Get f***ed.

“Who the f*** cares, bro. It’s not even about being an ally. I’m not saying I’m not, but it’s just like, just be a decent f***ing person. Just be a decent human being. Judging someone, and then trying to justify it with religion, and saying all sorts of spiteful, hateful s*** is crazy to me. It’s mind-boggling.

“Who cares who someone wants to be with, their sexual preference? And then the irony of trying to justify it with religion of something that’s supposed to be so accepted, and I was honestly shocked [with the negative reaction].”

Molina improved his record to 11-2 with the win against Zhumagulov.