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UFC strips credentials from JacksonWink MMA staffer after Cris Cyborg comments

By Marc Raimondi
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

The UFC is putting its foot down regarding offensive comments written by a gym employee about women’s champion Cris Cyborg.

In a statement released Tuesday, the UFC said it would not be allowing JacksonWink MMA social media staffer and photographer Mark Aragon access to future events after he referred to Cyborg as a man multiple times in a social media post.

Mark Aragon (left) has had his UFC photo credentials revoked after an offensive post about UFC champ Cris Cyborg.
instagram.com/ma2_media

“UFC is aware and troubled with the recent statements made by a social media representative from the JacksonWink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico as it concerns women’s featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg,” the UFC statement read.

“UFC does not condone or tolerate the remarks that were used. The organization has reached out to the JacksonWink team to inform them that the individual in question will not be granted access for future events.”

Aragon wrote the post Sunday after Cyborg defeated JacksonWink fighter Holly Holm to retain the UFC women’s featherweight title in the main event of UFC 219 in Las Vegas. Aragon, regarding Cyborg, wrote “this dude is tough as hell” and “Holly was the first one to make his nose bleed.”

Cyborg demanded an apology from Aragon and the team a day later. On Tuesday, she asked the UFC to take action against Aragon, who who has been credentialed for UFC events as a photographer.

Aragon wrote an Instagram post Monday, apologizing and saying he was “embarrassed” by his actions. He added that he overheard Cyborg refer to Holm as a “bitch” after the fight and lashed out because of it.

“I was obviously acting out of anger and frustration,” Aragon wrote. “My personal emotions got in the way of my professional status which I failed to adhere to.”

As the most hated photographer in the world today, I feel its necessary to comment on the recent fall out I’m causing for both Hollys and Cyborgs camps, and their respectful friends, fans, and families. At the conclusion of UFC 219, I took the final bus out of the arena back to the hotel and ended up on the same bus as Chris Cyborg and her team. As I sat in the back I began to hear them cheer and revel in their victory and discuss small parts of the event. A couple things really bothered me. I heard them laughing and commenting on a picture that renowned photographer Esther Lin took of Cyborgs toes literally in Hollys eye from a kick. Cyborg then went on to discuss how during clinches “the bitch” just “stayed and hugged her but she did nothing”. When I got back to the hotel I posted a picture with an inappropriate caption that everyone is now talking about. I was obviously acting out of anger and frustration. My personal emotions got in the way of my professional status which I failed to adhere to. But there is more to it, Cyborg leading up to the fight through her own Social Media accounts accused Holly and our camp of being the most drug failed camp ever. This is a totally fabricated lie and can’t be based on any merit whatsoever. Only one CURRENT athlete from our camp has ever been punished for USADA related issues and I was extremely frustrated with the perception that Cyborg and her fans had painted us as cheaters and losers. Jackson Wink had over 60 UFC fights throughout the world and hundreds of other fighters fighting all around the world at many different organizations. Every fighter has their home team based out of whatever country or state they hail from and come here for training, some of them with their own teams. We absolutely can’t be responsible for each and every one of their daily activities. That being said I am embarrassed by my actions and I sincerely apologize to @criscyborg riscyborg and her friends, fans, and most importantly her family for posting such an ugly misrepresentation of a great hard earned championship retention. I also want to apologize to the members of team Jacksonwink who were effected by that insincere post.

A post shared by Mark A. Aragon (@ma2_media) on

The gym’s Facebook page posted a non-apology about the situation Monday, writing that Aragon was making a reference to Cyborg’s past drug-test failure for steroids in the initial inappropriate post.

In response to our media person's recent Instagram remark about Cyborg, there is a backstory as to why he made his...

Posted by JacksonWink MMA on Monday, January 1, 2018

The gym statement and Aragon’s apology came hours after the JacksonWink MMA Twitter account tweeted a link to an anti-transgender Instagram post by JacksonWink coach Mike Winkeljohn from May 2016.

WTF

A post shared by Mike Winkeljohn (@mmacoachwink) on

The tweeted link to Winkeljohn’s post and Aragon’s initial inappropriate Instagram post have been deleted.

In November, the JacksonWink MMA Twitter account liked a tweet in which African American UFC fighter Aljamain Sterling was referred to as the N-word.

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