Yahoo Finance Devin Clark takes a knee, raises fist before UFC 250 bout amid George Floyd protests
Devin Clark appears to have joined the countless others in the sports world in protesting after George Floyd’s death in police custody late last month at UFC 250 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Clark, ahead of his light heavyweight bout with Alonzo Menifield at the UFC Apex facility, took a knee and raised a fist during his introduction in the Octagon.
Before his fight at #UFC250, @brownbearC took a knee during his introduction. pic.twitter.com/ZnL2JqCWbn
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 7, 2020
Clark beat Menifield by unanimous decision — which marked his third win in four bouts, bringing him to a 12-4 overall record — and his entire corner raised their fists together inside the Octagon, too.
Devin Clark makes a statement with a unanimous decision win at #UFC250.
And then he makes another statement in support of our brothers and sisters on the ground protesting the deaths of #BreonnaTaylor #GeorgeFloyd and #AhmaudArbery.
Beautiful.#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/E7nS6ZQ54G— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) June 6, 2020
The 30-year-old didn’t speak with the media after his fight, as he was transported to a local hospital due to an eye injury he suffered in the bout, and couldn’t confirm the reasoning behind his moves.
However his actions, invoking the common protest symbols in the ring, were more than clear.
Protests have broken out in cities across the country since Floyd’s death last month and video of his arrest — which showed a white Minneapolis police officer with his knee in the back of Floyd’s neck for more than seven minutes while he yelled out, “I can’t breathe” — quickly went viral. All four officers involved in his arrest have since been arrested.
The UFC honored Floyd before UFC Vegas last week, too, it’s first fight card since Floyd’s death. The decision to do so, UFC president Dana White said, was a simple one to make.
“Because we should,” White said last week. “What happened was horrible and it’s something really affecting this country right now and the world. There’s riots going on everywhere, across the world, right now. It was the right thing to do.”
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