UFC exec shoots down the idea of children fighting in the Octagon

UFC executive David Shaw shot down the idea of children ever fighting inside the Octagon at the UFC Moscow post-fight press conference.

The UFC held another successful event in Moscow, this one headlined by rising Russian featherweight star Zabit Magomedsharipov defeating American Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Night.” In the co-main event, Alexander Volkov defeated Greg Hardy to retain his status as a top heavyweight contender. But it’s what a reporter asked in the post-fight presser that drew a lot of criticism online amongst fellow media and fans.

A reporter asked David Shaw — who was presiding over the press conference due to the absence of UFC president White — if the promotion would ever consider the idea of kids fighting in the UFC. Here’s how the exchange went down (h/t Jed I. Goodman).

“The UFC used to say they would never have women fighting. Now they have women fighting sometimes on the main cards. So will there ever be kids fighting in the UFC? Cause there are kids’ fights in other challenges,” the reporter said.

“Children fighting in the UFC? No, we won’t have children fighting in the UFC,” Shaw said.

It’s a ridiculous question and one that has understandably led to online backlash to the reporter from fans and fellow media members. The thought of comparing women fighting in the UFC to children is ludicrous, though the reporter did bring up the fair point that Dana White used to say women would never fight in the UFC and now they are a huge part of it. Still, it was a bad question and the reporter has been understandably getting trashed for asking it.

At the same time, there have been children’s MMA fights in parts of Russia, so perhaps that’s where the reporter was coming from with his question. Still, it wasn’t an intelligent question to ask at a UFC post-fight press conference, and Shaw didn’t seem too pleased with it, as you could judge by his reaction to it.