UFC bantamweight Jeff Molina publicly came out as bisexual Friday after he was outed online with an alleged sex video.
Despite the awful circumstances, his announcement has been met with praise and support from the MMA world.
Molina’s message began with an acknowledgement of his situation. “Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me,” he wrote.
He went on to highlight the homophobic culture around MMA and said he’s tried to suppress his attraction to men for most of his life.
Like many closeted athletes, Molina says he always feared that his sexuality would define him.
“I wanted to be known for my skills and what I’ve dedicated the last 11 years of my life to not and not the “bi ufc fighter” that I’m sure would just be translated to ‘gay UFC fighter,’” he wrote.
Molina’s anger is palpable, and understandable. But if there is a silver lining, he says he’s received far more support than he expected.
“At the end of the day, I know my character, morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I’m getting hated/shitted on I’m getting an equal amount of support & it means a fuck ton,” he wrote.
A quick perusal of the comments to Molina’s message shows the love he’s received.
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/zho13QHXeT
— Jeff Molina (@jmolina_125) March 17, 2023
Molina joined UFC in 2020, and his pro MMA record is 11-2, according to Bloody Elbow. He was recently suspended by the UFC and the Nevada Athletic Commission as part of an investigation into an alleged widespread betting scandal.
Last June, Molina was the only UFC fighter to done a fight kit with rainbow colors in celebration of LGBTQ Pride. When he received backlash from MMA fans, he fired back.
“I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of shit. But I guess I was wrong,” he said at a press conference.
Jeff Molina goes *off* about the negative comments he received for wearing UFC's pride month shorts.
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 5, 2022
"I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of sh*t. But I guess I was wrong."#UFCVegas56 | Full video: https://t.co/mOxnqIFGCb pic.twitter.com/aKeVUUeXyg
Hopefully the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Molina’s announcement shows him there is room for an out male fighter in UFC. We’ll be rooting for him.