*stock photo of gay couple next to Demetrious Johnson

Former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson faced significant backlash on social media after comments he made about his gay brother and his approach to discussing LGBTQ+ topics with his children went viral.

In a recent interview, Johnson spoke about having a lesbian sister and a gay brother, stating that while he loves his brother, he tells him “don’t be coming over here with that.” He described maintaining a close relationship with his brother, including playing video games together, and recalled when his brother came out to the family.

Johnson elaborated on his parenting approach, explaining how he handles discussions about his gay brother with his children: “When my kids when they get next to my brother and they see that like dad he’s kissing another man, I’m like it’s okay like that’s what he chooses to do, but you guys are too young to make that decision.”

The clip went viral and received over 4M views – but if you try and find it at the source material it appears to have been edited out.

The comments sparked immediate criticism from prominent voices in the MMA community. The MMA Lawyer expressed disappointment on Twitter, while journalist Trent Reinsmith questioned whether the statement was meant to appear understanding, calling it “a massive failure.”

Other critics included Anton Tabuena, who wrote, “Not sure how people think it’s good to brag about being terrible to your kids and siblings.” Social media users also called out Johnson’s statements, with one user advising that “Gay folks, it’s ok to divorce your homophobic family members. You don’t have to put up with that s*it.”

Johnson has previously garnered attention for his support of various controversial figures in the MMA community, which some critics referenced while expressing their disappointment in his recent comments.

The clip went viral and received over 4M views – but if you try and find it at the source material it appears to have been edited out.

The comments sparked immediate criticism from prominent voices in the MMA community. The MMA Lawyer expressed disappointment on Twitter, while journalist Trent Reinsmith questioned whether the statement was meant to appear understanding, calling it “a massive failure.”