April 28, 2012 | Sex & Society

Anheuser-Busch versus the UFC

Anheuser-Busch, the company that owns Budwesier, is calling the Ultimate Fighting Championship out for homophobia, threatening to pull its advertising if the UFC doesn't change its ways. Bud Light is a major sponsor of the UFC's televised fights.

“We’ve communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this," Anheuser-Busch said in a statement. "If the incidents continue, we will act.”

The company emphasized that it “embraces diversity and does not condone insensitive and derogatory comments rooted in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc.”

Incidents that may have bothered Anheuser-Busch include fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson encouraging Japanese fans who do not speak English to repeat phrases including: “I’m a fag,” and UFC President Dana White calling a journalist's source a “pussy and a faggot” (for which White later apologized).

The UFC argued that most of its fighters are good men, and that only a few are guilty of such negative actions. “With over 425 athletes on our roster, there have unfortunately been instances where a couple athletes have made insensitive or inappropriate comments," the UFC said. "We don’t condone this behavior, and in no way is it reflective of the company or its values.”

You know money talks, and the UFC is likely to listen very closely to what Anheuser-Busch has to say.