This statement is in response to the media outlets reporting fake news regarding Olivia Wright. Sportskeeda first reported that Olivia was a transgender athlete when they announced that “Transgender MMA fighter faceplants female opponent in 17 seconds.” This story was reshared on Twitter and Reddit, and also picked up by Calfkicker.
It is extremely upsetting that someone who has worked so hard is having their win overshadowed by false claims that imply that she had an unfair advantage due to a gender transition.
Instead of celebrating her victory, Olivia has had to address her gender in her own statement:
“With all of the rumors and speculation occurring, I feel the need to state a few things. For starters; I am not transgender. I was born a female and remain as one. I have never undergone gender reassignment surgery or taken hormones. I am a gay woman and I wear the pride flag to represent my community, which includes all of the LGBTQ. To finish this off, I worked tirelessly for that win. I trained daily, multiple times a day as well as adhering to a strict meal plan to cut my weight in a healthy manner. It is extremely discouraging and disappointing to witness all of this debate surrounding my private parts when the attention should be focused on my dedication.”
We are extremely disappointed in the lack of journalism that took place. Sportskeeda has since taken down their article but as of now Calfkicker still has not.
SBG is committed to and stands by our athletes. Olivia is one of the hardest working competitors that represent our team. She was committed to her training for months in preparation for this fight in the NFC, working through tiring strength and conditioning and skills development training while sticking to a strict diet. She is a stand-up competitor and an excellent teammate. She should be reaping the benefits of all of her hard work and celebrating her win instead of battling claims that paint a false picture of her identity. It takes away from her being celebrated in victory, which is ALL that should be happening.
