Middleweight UFC fighter Uriah Hall grabbed the microphone after his fight on Sunday night and made a very impassioned and reasonable speech about the Ferguson protests and the tension in America between police and African-Americans.
The video is available at the Right Scoop.
Here’s a transcript of his comments:
This fight was a lot bigger than me, man! The one thing I really wanted to say, I know a lot of people are watching, I know there’s a lot of BS going around in the world with the cops and everything. Listen man, this is America, there is NO NEED FOR us to be fighting each other!
This is the best country in the world! Why the hell are we fighting each other? There are better things to be fighting for man, and you know what? The cops aren’t all bad, I know it takes that one bad cop, but I’ve got great friends man, and my condolences to NYPD, their family and of course the Ferguson family, y’know let’s just make it better this year, let’s do it right.
I have to say I admire the man for putting it all in context without really taking one side. We truly are in the greatest country in the world and we shouldn’t let racial divisions make us lose sight of that fact. God bless Uriah for using his celebrity to try to bring people together instead of driving us apart. [Unlike a certain leader of the free world.]
Unfortunately, not everyone thought the same.
#UFCBoston @UriahHallMMA the "Ferguson" family? So inspirational if you could get the family name right, #phonybullshit
— Prime8 (@FaceRippinChimp) January 19, 2015
@MMARoasted Ferguson PD is now looking for Uriah Hall.
— JoeMMA (@JoeMMA83) January 19, 2015
Uriah Hall ended the Ferguson riots. #UFCBoston
— Whyavier (@BoxingAsylumWhy) January 19, 2015
Did Uriah Hall just apologize for Ferguson? #UFCBoston #UFCMcGregor @MMARoasted
— Joe Jaggi (@joejaggi) January 19, 2015
There were a few people mocking him for saying the “Ferguson family” as if the name of the family was Ferguson instead of the name of the city.
So classy of uriah hall to give his condoleneces to the ferguson family
— porcula (@EdEdRhythm) January 19, 2015
Uriah Hall with the poignant shout out to "the Ferguson family." Well thought out plea for peace.
— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) January 19, 2015
Yeah he just beat the hell out of a guy and got punched in the face a bunch of times… maybe cut him some slack from your courageous seat as a keyboard warrior? Aside from these assholes, there were a few others that appreciated his sentiments:
@kennyflorian @UriahHallMMA's message post fight was great! #NYPD #Ferguson @UFC all class
— Uncle Louie G (@UncleLouie) January 19, 2015
Uriah(?) Hall's speech on Ferguson the highlight of the night so far.
— Gavan Casey (@GavanCasey) January 19, 2015
Nothing but love for @UriahHallMMA post fight speech. I hear ya.
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) January 19, 2015
"Not all cops are bad…condolences to NYPD, the ferguson family, and lets make it better this year. Lets do it right." – Uriah Hall.
— Benhelio (@hey_its_simba) January 19, 2015
@UriahHallMMA You are the man! We are all Americans and it's time to stop fighting each other! #Ferguson #UFCBoston #nypd
— Nunya (@micahsgrrl) January 19, 2015
Uriah Hall took time in front of the camera to plead for a positive year re: police-related violence. Referenced NYPD and Ferguson.
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) January 19, 2015
@UriahHallMMA just went #primetime on all of us, dropping serious words of wisdom. #UFCBoston #Ferguson #NYPDLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatter
— Malcolm McMillan (@McMillanMalcolm) January 19, 2015
Shoutout to @UriahHallMMA. Very cool of him to take the time out to encourage Americans to stop shooting eachother. #Ferguson #nypdshooting
— Markis Hunt (@MarkisHunt) January 19, 2015
So @UriahHallMMA put call out 2 #Ferguson family, #NYPD, & cops in general 2 "make it better" during his win speech on #UFCFightNight 2nite.
— Sid Perfetto (@Cygnussid42) January 19, 2015
Given the pressure that African Americans are made to feel to support any racially divisive campaign, I think it was courageous of him to speak out. If you feel like thanking him for his comments, he has a Twitter account:
Have a lot of respect for my opponent tonight thanks again @Philippou185UFC get ready !!
— U R I A H H A L L (@UriahHallMMA) January 19, 2015