UFC Host Karyn Bryant Accuses Henry Cejudo of Tweeting Racist Remark About Aljamain Sterling

To be a star in the UFC, you must be talented in a multitude of areas, both inside and outside the Octagon. Fans must demand to watch your fights either because you never seem to lose or because the way you leave it all out there is must-see entertainment. That is only part of it the audience-facing equation, however.

To become an established name, you must be a skilled promoter of your own persoal brand and talent. Unfortunately, trash-talk can sometimes go over the line -- and that seems to be the case with bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo's latest attempt at calling out future opponents. Cejudo attempted to call out Aljamain Sterling, but in the process handed him a nickname that UFC presenter Karyn Bryant found plainly offensive.

Bryant, who frequently hosts pre- and post-event coverage for the UFC, was not a fan of using Sterling's name to draw a direct line to Aunt Jemima, a figure that has historically been used as a stereotype of black female servants. Bryant, an African-American woman, spelled this out carefully on Twitter, indicating that while such an insult may seem harmless to many, the underlying meaning still arrives from a racialized place.

All told, Cejudo was attempting to demean and demonstrate power over a potential future opponent who happens to be black.

The point here is that Bryant isn't suggesting that Cejudo made a conscious effort to attack Sterling with a racial taunt. She is simply stating that using such a nickname is an insensitive move that recalls a power dynamic and a history of oppression that has no place in mixed martial arts matchmaking conversations.

Henry Cejudo would be wise to listen to this advice. In this world of "you're canceled," he's fortunate to have a critic in Bryant who took the time to put together such a measured, reasonable response.