Former UFC fighter challenges politician to fight over COVID-19 lockdown measures

An Australian MMA fighter has challenged the Premier of Victoria to a fight due to the strict COVID-19 lockdown measures in place. Vik Grujic,…

By: Karim Zidan | 3 years ago
Former UFC fighter challenges politician to fight over COVID-19 lockdown measures
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

An Australian MMA fighter has challenged the Premier of Victoria to a fight due to the strict COVID-19 lockdown measures in place.

Vik Grujic, a former UFC middleweight with a 6-6 professional record, challenged Andrews on social media, claiming that “retribution is coming” for the “wicked” politician.

“The only thing wicked is you,” Grujic tweeted at Andrews last week. “You are evil. You will pay a heavy price for your betrayal. Human rights violations. Answer to no one. State funded propaganda through the vile [mainstream media]. Retribution is coming.”

Grujic has spent the past few months claiming that the coronavirus is a “hoax” and that “communism reigns supreme” in Melbourne, Australia. He ranted about the restrictive measures in place following a surge in cases, adding that his city is “under siege” by a “dictator.” He later added that he was “down” to fight Andrews if given the opportunity.

In early August, Melbourne authorities declared a “state of disaster” after COVID-19 cases in Victoria rose sharply throughout July. A curfew has been put in place, schools have returned to online-only classes, and people are only allowed to travel within a 5 kilometre radius of their households for essential services.

As Australia contends with its second wave of the coronavirus, a judicial inquiry was launched into the hotel quarantine program that is believed to have been a leading cause for the second wave of the virus. The outbreak took place at the Rydges on Swanston and involved more than 15 people.

As premier, Andrews has taken responsibility for the disastrous program.

“I am the leader of this government and I take responsibility, and have accountability for this and all matters,” he said.

Grujic has been vocal about the restrictive measures, even going so far as to suggest that the “US has invaded countries for lesser attacks on human rights.” He has also called for Andrews to be lynched.

There are currently more than 17,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, including 334 deaths.

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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