Photographer Mark Aragon has reportedly been banned from working UFC matches after calling female fighter Cris “Cyborg” Venâncio a “dude,” on social media.
Aragon posted a photo of Cris Cyborg to his Instagram account with a caption saying, “This dude is tough as hell. That being said at the press conference he said Holly was the first one to make his nose bleed.”
Cyborg quickly replied to the comment slamming Aragon, who works with fighter Holly Holm, and accusing him of 6being transphobic.
“It is not acceptable for an official representative of @hollyholm @jacksonwink_MMA to call me transgender following my Fight,” Cyborg wrote. “I expect an apology or their ability to get credentials for future UFC events to be affected by these actions.”
After Cyborg’s criticism, UFC issued a statement condemning Aragon’s rhetoric and banning him from working future matches, Awful Announcing reported:
‘UFC is aware and troubled with the recent statements made by a social media representative from the JacksonWink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico as it concerns women’s featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg,’ the UFC statement read.
‘UFC does not condone or tolerate the remarks that were used. The organization has reached out to the JacksonWink team to inform them that the individual in question will not be granted access for future events.’
Aragon later apologized for the comment:
But on his Instagram account, Aragon went on to note that Cyborg’s camp has also engaged in trash talk and unfairness.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.