Budweiser Threatens to Yank UFC Ads After Nazi Tattoo-Clad Fighter Allowed to Compete

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a fast-growing, action-packed but controversial sport in America. To some, it is the most exciting 1-v-1 combat there is in sports. To others, it is overly violent and celebrates the baser impulses in society.

But this story, courtesy of Business Insider, would go far beyond the usual debate about UFC, assuming the veracity of the facts in question. And as a result, sources claim Budweiser is considering pulling all advertising from the UFC.

Budweiser is not known for being uber-choosey about the organizations it sponsors. Still, a Nazi-tattoo-sporting, alleged sex offender proved much too much for the King of Beers to bear, and so it has threatened to pull its advertising campaign with the mixed martial arts brand.

"We've communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this. If the incidents continue, we will act," Budweiser told Ad Age

This dust-up all comes from a series of bizarre allegations, quoted from Business Insider, that state:

 UFC president Dana White used the word "faggot" in a video; presenter Joe Rogan used the C-word to refer to a female blogger; and one fighter, Brandon C. Saling, was allowed to compete in a UFC-affiliated event, according to Big Lead Sports, even though he is a convicted sex offender who wears Nazi tattoos. The picture above is Saling's police mugshot, taken after he was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl.

And if you're wondering which tattoos are Nazi-inspired, it's the small "88" on his upper left collar. The Anti-Defamation League describes why:

The eighth letter of the alphabet is "H." Eight two times signifies "HH, " shorthand for the Nazi greeting, "Heil Hitler." 88 is often found on hate group flyers, in both the greetings and closing comments of letters written by neo-Nazis, and in e-mail addresses.

Other sports have had to wrestle with image problems in the past, resulting in strict policies for players on and off the field. Perhaps the UFC could be on the cusp of reining in executives and competitors in a similar way.

Regardless, these are very serious accusations, and clearly have caught the attention of a major advertiser. The Blaze will update this story as more comes out.

This story has been updated from its earlier version.