A Czech fighter has been removed from a scheduled bout at a tournament last week for sporting neo-Nazi tattoos.
Radek Roušal was expected to face Slovak fighter Nikolas Krivák in an Oktagon MMA event in Brno, Czech Republic, but was barred from competition after it was revealed that the fighter had a portrait of Adolf Hitler emblazoned on his arm. A second tattoo on his chest revealed a skull wearing an SS cap, a reference to the SS Totenkopfverbände unit responsible for administering the Nazi death camps.
Speaking with Czech outlet iDNES.cz, Oktagon MMA promoter Ondřej Novotný noted his disgust with the situation, adding that the outcry from MMA fans is “justified.”
“It cannot happen that you would come here looking like that,” Oktagon MMA promoter Ondřej Novotný told iDNES.cz. “We have a clause about that in the contract, we could fine him. For the tattoo on his chest as well. No way! It’s absolutely justified that there’s an outcry. We didn’t study what he looks like, neither did our photographers or our cameramen noticed the tattoo. Nobody spoke of it beforehand. We did not know about it, certainly not.”
Roušal later claimed that the tattoos were the remnants of his “troubled” past and that he regrets his actions.
“I grew up in the troubled community of people that made this tattoo,” Roušal told Extra.cz. “At the time, I didn’t know what to do with life, I was young and this tattoo was stupid. Later, I started doing martial arts, which led me to a completely different life and worldview. I have more tattoos that I regret, I gradually remove them all. I also want to apologize with my statement.”
Muay Thai Brno, the gym where Roušal trains for competition, has also come to the fighter’s aid on social media, alleging that Roušal planned to remove the tattoos in January 2022.
“Radek and I have dealt with the situation, and according to him, he has been ordering a deadline for January for the removal of tattoos, which, according to him, was created years ago in youthful recklessness. However, the offer for the match came at the last minute, before it was removed.
“Our gym is clearly against any manifestations of any racial or other discrimination or intolerance. People of all nationalities and skin colors meet here, we cooperate with various non-profit organizations, including those that work with minorities. At the same time, we also lend a helping hand to those who can learn from their mistakes and mistakes.”
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