Food Network personality Guy Fieri has sparked backlash among some fans after being spotted at a weekend UFC fight greeting Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer who has built a following on overt misogyny, including comments suggesting women should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault.
On Saturday, Fieri attended UFC 327 in Miami, where Carlos Ulberg defeated Jiří Procházka by first-round knockout to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion. In a video clip shared by BroBible sports editor Jorge Alonso, Fieri can be seen warmly shaking hands with Tate and bumping shoulders as they greet each other.
“I will never watch Food Network again,” one commenter wrote on Threads. “I didn’t know Guy Fieri was hanging around people like this. It says a lot about him.”
Another Instagram commenter wrote, “I’m really looking forward to the explanation for this one — the ‘Mayor of Flavortown’ having a blast with the ‘Mayor of Misogyny Town.’”
Often associated with the online “manosphere,” Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, have been under criminal investigation in Romania since 2022. They have been accused of coercing women into pornography, as The New York Times reported in December. Andrew Tate has also faced allegations of rape and of sexual activity with and assaulting a minor.
According to the Times, early in Donald Trump’s second term, the administration pressured Romanian officials to “find compromise” with the brothers, after which they returned to the United States. Romanian authorities have since expanded their investigation to include allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering.
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Fieri faced similar pushback in July 2023, when a photo circulated of him greeting Trump ringside at UFC 290 in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Seattle-based chef Eric Rivera shared the image on Twitter at the time, writing: “I’ve been trying to tell you about Guy Fieri, but a lot of you didn’t want to listen.”
Notably, Trump also attended Saturday’s Miami fight, as several outlets pointed out, even as U.S.-led peace talks with Iran — spearheaded by JD Vance — were reportedly faltering.
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