“We Will Make an Example Out of Him”: Florida Congressman Responds to Antisemitic Incident During Jewish Fighter’s Kickboxing Match

Returning three months after he stopped Nate Diaz on the Rousey vs. Carano card in May, Mike Perry suffered a first-round knockout loss to Brandon Jenkins in the main event of Duel Arena’s inaugural card last weekend. Ideally, after dislocating his shoulder during the headlining bout, the spotlight should have remained on the former UFC fighter. Instead, attention has shifted to something far more serious.

Footage from the event at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, has sparked outrage after spectators were seen making gestures associated with racial and antisemitic hate during the heavyweight kickboxing bout between Israeli Jewish influencer-turned-fighter Ben Azoulay and controversial right-wing personality Paul Miller. Among those condemning the gesture was Florida Congressman (R) Randy Fine.

“This is not a joke, and it is not edgy,” Fine’s X post read. “The guy who did this is old enough to know exactly what that symbol means and to know that it’s not funny.

“We will make an example out of him. Jew-hatred is never okay—not in Florida, not in this country.”

The warning from the representative of the 6th Congressional District of Florida was in response to footage showing a group of spectators waving a swastika flag during the event. The red-and-white flag featuring a black swastika became a defining symbol of Nazi Germany and is now inextricably associated with Nazism and antisemitism.

As per reports and X’s community notes, the flag was waved during the co-main event between Miller and Azoulay. The kickboxing bout, promoted as a grudge match between two controversial internet personalities of opposing ideologies, ended with Miller winning by a narrow split decision.

The incident drew a strong response from the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida.

“We were shocked and disgusted to see spectators waving a Nazi flag and giving Nazi salutes in the crowd during the ‘Duel: Arena’ mixed martial arts event this weekend in downtown Orlando,” the organization said.

The sentiment was shared by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who wrote on X that symbols of hate such as those displayed at the Kia Center were not welcome in the community and that Orlando would continue to oppose all forms of hatred.

Orlando Venues, which operates the Kia Center, meanwhile clarified its position, saying that while the First Amendment prevents it from stopping the promoters from accessing the venue, it nevertheless condemns what unfolded there.

What began as a night of combat sports in Orlando has therefore turned into something much bigger, with officials and organizations now demanding accountability for the hateful displays witnessed at the event.

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