UFC Ends Tyler Manawaroa’s Octagon Dreams After Racist Instagram Post Uncovered

The Ultimate Fighter Nations Aussie fighter Tyler Manawaroa, 19, will go no further than his performance on the UFC reality series after a racist post to his Instagram account was recently uncovered.

Team Canada’s Kajan Johnson pointed out the racist post, which stems from 2012. After being brought to the UFC’s attention, the promotion informed Manawaroa that he would not be offered a contract regardless of how far he goes on TUF Nations.

Manawaroa responded via his Twitter account, saying, “racism isn’t funny I know that. It was a joke.”

Manawaroa (10-0) recently moved into the semifinal bracket of the tournament after winning a unanimous decision over Canada’s Nordine Taleb, giving the Aussie team its first victory on the show. But whether or not he continues to move through the brackets on the show, Manawaroa will not be offered a spot on the UFC’s roster.

“The UFC organization had hired an investigation company in Australia to conduct thorough background investigations on potential contestants for The Ultimate Fighter Nations television series,” read a statement from UFC officials on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, the background checks did not uncover all of the social media history by contestant Tyler Manawaroa.

“The UFC is committed to having an environment that is free from discrimination. Consequently, UFC has notified Manawaroa that regardless of how far he advances in the completed television series, the organization will not be offering him a contract to compete in the UFC.”

The TUF Nations Finale takes place on April 16 in Quebec City, Quebec.

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