Jeff Molina, a star in the UFC, has come out as bisexual after a private video circulated on social media, but he says he has been robbed of his chance to announce his sexuality in the way he wanted to.
Molina is currently suspended from the UFC after allegedly being involved in a betting scheme following an investigation into suspicious betting activities in the sport, per ESPN.
The UFC Flyweight had previously been outspoken in his support for the LGBTQ+ community and hit back at his critics after he wore pride month shorts during a fight in June 2022.
During a press conference, the fighter said: "Just be a decent human being [...] Saying all sorts of spiteful, hateful s***, it's crazy to me, it's mind-boggling."
Molina continued: "Who cares who someone wants to be with? Or their sexual preference? I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of s***. But I guess I was wrong."
Earlier this week a private video circulated of Molina engaging in sexual activity with another man and this has forced the fighter to open up about his sexuality.
Sharing a statement on Twitter, Molina said: "Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me."
"I've tried to keep my dating life private from social media," Molina continued. "I've dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school being on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC.
"The thought of my buddies, teammates and [people] I look up to looking at me different let alone treating me different for something I can't control was something I couldn't fathom."
Molina added that he wasn't planning on revealing his sexuality during his career due to his belief that the fans of the sport won't accept him for who he is.
He added: "I wanted to be known for my skills and what I've dedicated the last 11 years of my life to and not 'the bi UFC' fighter."
Molina called out the person who shared the video while stating: "I hope it was worth it."
He concluded: "At the end of the day I know my character, my morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I'm getting hated/s****ed on I'm getting an equal amount of support [and] it means a f*** ton [sic]."
Molina, who is 11-2 so far in his career and 3-0 in UFC, is now the first openly LGBTQ+ male fighter in the UFC.
