MMA community reacts to George Floyd’s death and Black Lives Matter resurgence

Cormier, Adesanya and Lee just some mixed martial artists speaking out about the tragic incident in May

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UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya joins roughly 4,000 New Zealand protesters demonstrating against the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd in a Black Lives Matter protest in Auckland in June. (Photo: AFP

Published: 3:05pm, 2 Jun 2020Updated: 10:38pm, 2 Jun 2020

While UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones have been spotted in the streets showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement amidst ongoing fury at the death of George Floyd in May, other fighters within the MMA realm have also shared their thoughts on social media.

Former double champion, Daniel “DC” Cormier, told everybody to “wake up” after the killing of unarmed black man Floyd by now-convicted police officer Derek Chauvin in Minnesota in May.

“As we pray for George Floyd and his family, we are reminded of how ugly this world can be. It really sucks. This isn’t about race. Everyone should be upset about this – regardless of your race. I pray for his family. We have to do better. We can’t let this continue to happen. RIP,” the 41-year-old Cormier said, later clarifying his statement.

“Don’t know how the last tweet could be misconstrued. What I mean is we should all be upset at the behaviour of the police officers. It doesn’t matter that you look like. We as a people, regardless of race, have to stand together. #icantbreathe #GeorgeFloyd #wakeupeverybody.”

Fellow light heavyweight Dominick Reyes also started a discussion about fixing what he believes is a socially ingrained issue ridden with power dynamics.