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UFC fighter Julian Erosa has challenged transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to become an MMA fighter so she can “beat that guy's ass.”
Erosa made the call during a press conference following his first-round submission victory at UFC Vegas 89.
Erosa said, “I was going to say I don't like cheaters, and I don't know how you guys feel about this whole situation, but I don't like cheaters, and so I called Lia Thomas. Wanted.” ,
Erosa continued, “I wanted to encourage her — or encourage her — to transition from women's swimming to women's MMA, and then I'll transition to becoming a woman, and I'm going to beat that dude's ass. I am staying.”
Julian Erosa plans to call out Lia Thomas during his Octagon interview after win #UFCVegas89,
“I don't like cheaters. …I wanted to encourage her to transition from women's swimming to women's MMA, and then I would transition into becoming a woman and beat that dude's ass. , pic.twitter.com/2dOVt4BlOO
– MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) 24 March 2024
Thomas wasn't the only transgender athlete to be called out. Erosa also targeted Fallon Fox, a fighter who was born male but now identifies as a woman.
“The world we live in is just… you know there is no common sense anymore. …I don't agree with men in women's sports, you know? Even the whole Fallon Fox thing…people who are fighting and beating women in MMA. It is an evil eye.”
The reporter asked Erosa if there were any cases where he felt it was appropriate for a man to compete against a female athlete.
“Not at all,” Erosa replied immediately. “There's nothing you can do, there's nothing you can give to shrink your bones. I mean, you can't do something like that, and the proof is there.”
“I'm not the smartest crayon in the box, but I can tell you – even if I don't know anything about anything – I can still tell you that it's unfair.”
Erosa stated that she believed that women's sports would eventually cease to exist if biological males continued to be allowed to compete.
“It's so ridiculous to me that women will fight for their own spaces and then they also fight for transwomen in those spaces. They're just men, there will be hundreds of men in these sports and then it becomes another men's sport.
Watch the full press conference here: