UFC president calls Meryl Streep 'stupid' for MMA criticism
- Published
Meryl Streep is facing a backlash for saying Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is "not art".
The actress criticised the sport during her attack on Donald Trump during her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.
Speaking about diversity in Hollywood, she said: "If we kick [foreigners] out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts - which are not the arts."
UFC President Dana White called her comment "stupid".
"Of course [MMA] is an art," he said in a video post on Monday night.
"These fighters, these men and women, are so talented. They train their whole lives to be the best in the world. To say something stupid like that is like saying, 'She's not a talented actress,' which she is. She's a very talented actress," he said.
UFC is the biggest promoter of MMA and home to many of the sport's top ranked fighters.
"It's not going to be everybody's thing, and the last thing I expect is for an uppity 80-year-old lady to be in our demographic and love mixed martial arts," he said of the 67-year-old.
Streep's comment came during her acceptance speech for lifetime achievement in film.
In it, she criticised President-elect Donald Trump, suggesting he was encouraging a bullying culture in America.
"Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose," she said.
Dana White gave a speech in support of Donald Trump at last year's Republican convention.
Other top MMA representatives have weighed in on Meryl Streep's comments.
Scott Coker, president of Bellator MMA, has invited her to watch a fight later this month.
MMA is seen by many as a diverse sport. Some of its biggest stars Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes are women and many have mixed heritage.
John McCarthy, an MMA founder and trainer, called the three-time Oscar winner's comments "ignorant".
Meryl Streep has not publicly responded.
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