The UFC’s Danny Roberts will be an ally for fellow fighter Molly McCann at his Fight Night bout against Tim Means on June 19, by wearing his name in rainbow on his shorts, he told ESPN.
Great Britain’s ‘Meatball’ McCann, who is gay, wrote on Twitter on June 1, the first day of Pride Month in many parts of the world including the UK, that she would like to wear a rainbow on her shorts at her next [as yet undetermined] fight.
It was in response to the news that the UFC would allow fighters to wear their names in rainbow this month, for Pride, and McCann, who does not have a fight planned, asked for that permission to be extended.
Critics of her tweet were quick to respond in the negative, to which McCann replied: “The s**t show of comments I’ve had because I asked for my name to be RAINBOW coloured when I next fight.
“It’s actually offended people who don’t follow me, don’t know me, and don’t follow MMA. Love the comments and the love though, always fuel to the fire.”
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Danny Roberts plans to wear a rainbow on his shorts for fellow fighter Molly McCann when he faces Tim Means.
Now ‘Hot Chocolate’ Roberts, who also fights out of Liverpool like McCann, is taking advantage of the June allowance, and told ESPN that he would be wearing a rainbow in support of his friend.
He said: “I’ll do that for her, 100%. We’ve worked hard for our moments to shine in this world, [there are] very few UK athletes in this very elite sport.
“Molly is a good friend of mine, we go way back from before the UFC. We have the same goals, the same ambitions, so I would like to be able to share a moment for her, representing [the LGBT+ community] while I’m fighting. It’s a moment I can share with my friend, and everyone can see what it means.
“I’m going to wear black shorts, as it’s Juneteenth, for Black people in America, and then the colours for Molly.”
Roberts, who has a record of 17-5-0, will face Means in Vegas on the 19th in the Welterweight division. The main card will be Featherweights Dan Ige against Chan Sung Jun.