Joseph Benavidez: ‘It would be cool to see a gay guy just beat the s*** out of somebody’

Sexual identity in sports has been a hot topic over the past couple of years.

In 2013, Liz Carmouche made UFC history as the first openly gay fighter to step into the octagon when she challenged women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 157.

While Carmouche was the first openly homosexual competitor to fight in the UFC, the promotion has yet to feature its first openly gay male competitor. UFC President Dana White had previously stated that he could care less if there was a gay fighter in the UFC, and wished they would be comfortable coming out.

So how do rest of the fighters feel about openly gay male competitors in the UFC?

While his opinion may not be sophisticated, former bantamweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez comments were certainly inclusive.

“Why not?” Benavidez told FOX Sports. “It would be cool to see a gay guy just beat the s*** out of somebody. I think that would be that much cooler. Busting a stereotype.”

On the other hand, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones is not even sure he knows how he feels about homosexuality in MMA.

“I don’t really know what I think about homosexuality and MMA,” Jones said. “I’ve never really put much thought into it. It’s a very sensitive topic. I’d rather not even comment on it.”

The most pragmatic comment, though, was UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell:

“If he’s tough, who cares?” Liddell said. “If he’s a fighter, he’s a fighter. As long as he wins fights, it doesn’t matter.”