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.
Watch below:
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.]
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