“There’s only one person more incredible than the Incredible Hulk, and that’s my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
These are the words of Josh Hokit, the former NFL player and heavyweight mixed martial artist who was one of the fighters participating in the UFC Freedom 250 tournament that took place on the South Lawn of the White House June 14, Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Dubbed “the next chapter of America’s fighting history” and timed as the official start of the 250th anniversary celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this bloody series of seven cage matches had nothing to do with Christianity or being a Christian in modern-day America.
Richard Cizik
In fact, only 16% of Americans were in favor of the mixed martial arts event, according to a nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll, while 46% opposed the spectacle for such reasons as the gratuitous violence and the $60 million price tag to stage the event.
Clearly, many Americans felt queasy about MMA fighters punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, striking and butting their opponents violently under a 92-foot tall, 600-ton steel “claw” on the White House lawn. They were equally troubled by the event being turned into an infomercial for Crypto.com, Ram trucks, specialty drinks, beer, sports merchandise and more.
And then, there was the fact that attending UFC 250 was by invitation only, with ultra-premium VIP sponsorship packages reported to cost up to $1.5 million. Of course, regular UFC fans who came to Washington were able to watch the fights via jumbotrons on the Ellipse or they could livestream the fights on Paramount+ (if they had a subscription).
Yet it is the immorality of this spectacle at a time when so many people are struggling to make ends meet that makes the UFC Freedom 250 tournament so troubling.
Simply put, the president of the United States wanted a big birthday party and the rich and powerful ponied up millions to attend a modern-day gladiator event at the White House, which is still “the people’s house.”
“The rich and powerful ponied up millions to attend a modern-day gladiator event at the White House.”
Interestingly, history shows that in ancient Rome, the emperors walked from their palaces to watch gladiator fights in a large Colosseum. Rarely did they host fights in their back yard as a way to distract the masses from their difficult lives. And gladiator fights often were held to honor the emperor’s birthday.
Moreover, these ancient fights frequently were put on at the expense of local elites, which makes the connection to the UFC Freedom 250 tournament so creepy.
Fortunately, the Roman Empire ended with the sack of Rome in 410 CE and the death of the last recognized Western Emperor, Julius Nepos, in 480 CE. And on the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation, we are not governed by a king or an emperor.
Yet, the words of Hokit praising Jesus Christ at the end of his winning match should remind people of faith that while sports and athletics are cultural ideals, Jesus preached nonviolence and noted the pursuit of wealth can choke out spiritual growth and make people indifferent to the suffering of others. As stated in the Gospel of Matthew, you cannot serve both God and money.
Also, Hokit and his fellow MMA fighters should stand as a warning that while militant masculinity has a place in some types of sports, it does not in the public square. Scholars warn of Christian nationalism where a warrior-like Jesus condones violence and war to defend the faith and our nation.
This cannot be America in our 251st year.
Richard Cizik serves as executive director of Evangelicals for Democracy, which brings together people of faith — Republicans, Democrats and independents of all walks of life — who believe that as Americans, we are stronger and more resilient together than when we are divided.