Orlando officials condemn antisemitic slurs at Kia Center MMA event

City-run arena says First Amendment compelled it to host fight

The Duel Arena kickboxing event Saturday at the 18,500-seat downtown arena featured a headline fight between Miller, who goes by the nickname “the gypsy crusader,” and Azoulay, a Jewish “manosphere” influencer. After the fight was over, Miller assailed Azoulay over the arena’s loudspeaker system, calling him “a short little fucking Jew prick,” and appeared to give at least two Nazi salutes from the ring, according to the Guardian. Several brawls broke out in the crowd afterward, and a spectator was ejected for waving a giant swastika flag.

On Tuesday, Orlando Venues, the city government division that runs the Kia Center, released a statement on the venue’s X account defending the decision to host the event. “As operators of public venues, the City is bound by the First Amendment,” the statement said. “This means we cannot deny access because we disagree with the political ideology, opinion, or perspective, irrespective of the message.” It added that the views of the participants “do not reflect the views of Orlando Venues, the City or Orlando, or our staff” and said it would continue to review its event policies “while respecting the Constitution.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the city rejected the fighters’ messaging. “Symbols of hate, including the Nazi flag, were brought to Kia Center this weekend. But hate will never be welcome here,” he said in a statement. “Our community will continue to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate to ensure that Orlando is a place where every person is valued and respected.”

Anna Eskamani, a Democratic state representative running to become Orlando’s mayor, called the event and the city’s defense of hosting it unacceptable. “This is another reminder of how prevalent extremism is in our society, and of the responsibility every one of us carries to combat antisemitism, racism, white supremacy and hate in all its forms,” she told the Guardian. “It is also a reason for the Kia Center, and all public venues, to re-evaluate their rules. The first amendment is broad, and I take it seriously, but conduct that invites and incites violence is a different question, and every angle should be explored to prevent this from happening again.”

Rick Scott, a Florida Republican US senator and former governor, said in a post on X that Saturday’s events were “extremely disturbing.” “Antisemitism has no place in Florida,” he said.

Kia, the arena’s naming-rights partner, also condemned the incident. “As Kia America is the naming rights partner of the Kia Center, we are not involved in its operations or security protocols,” a spokesperson said. “However, we appreciate the prompt action taken by venue personnel to address the situation. Such behaviors are in stark contrast to the values of respect and dignity that we, and our employees, fully support and promote.”

The Anti-Defamation League identifies Miller as a far-right extremist and white supremacist who used the gypsy crusader moniker on inflammatory social media posts long before his transition to mixed martial arts. In 2021, the US attorney’s office for the southern district of Florida noted that he had called for a race-based civil war before his 41-month prison sentence for illegal possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Miller did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.

Azoulay has his own controversial history, according to the Guardian. He was convicted in 2011 in relation to the rape of a minor and maintains an Instagram account with more than half a million followers. In February, California’s Beverly Hills Unified School District apologized for allowing him to address a Jewish student club at Beverly Hills High School. “Some of the views espoused by this man which I’ve seen on social [media] are abhorrent,” Alex Cherniss, the district’s superintendent, said at the time. “Had the principal or district known ahead of time, he would have never been approved to speak to this student club.” Several school board members issued further apologies at a heated subsequent meeting in April.

The City of Orlando and Orlando Venues did not address follow-up questions from the Guardian, including how a person carrying a giant swastika flag was able to enter the arena in contravention of the Kia Center’s stated admittance policies.