Charles Radtke sees his upcoming fight this Saturday in Montreal as a mission into hostile territory.
Hailing from Illinois, Radtke is scheduled to face Canadian Mike Malott in a welterweight contest at UFC 315. This is the only fight on the card featuring a matchup between an American and a Canadian. Against the backdrop of recent political friction between the two nations, Radtke was questioned about his perspective on the current atmosphere leading up to his bout with Malott.
Specifically, at Wednesday`s media day, Radtke was asked about his reaction to Team Canada defeating Team U.S.A. in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off final in February. This tournament included an instance where Canadians notably booed the U.S. national anthem before the teams` first meeting. The reporter wanted to know if this hockey rivalry held any meaning for Radtke.
Radtke responded directly, stating:
“I don’t give a shit about hockey. That’s not my thing. But what is important to me is my background, growing up on a bison ranch with my grandfather, a Marine Corps Sergeant Major. When you all booed the national anthem, someone will have to answer for that. Someone mentioned, ‘Oh, but you booed them the week after.’ That doesn’t justify it.”
He added:
“Consequently, I take that personally. I grew up replacing 50 flags along our driveway each year, so you will witness the consequences of that.”
When asked to deliver a message to the Canadian fans attending the event at Bell Centre on Saturday, Radtke kept it brief.
“Basically, f*ck you,” Radtke simply stated.
Radtke is accustomed to facing hostile crowds. After his UFC debut victory against Blood Diamond at UFC 293 in Sydney, he was booed by the audience, who largely supported his New Zealand opponent. “Chuck Buffalo,” as he is known, reacted at the time with a homophobic slur, an action he later apologized for.
Considering Malott`s significant popularity in Canada, it`s highly probable that Radtke will be met with a similarly cold reception from the Montreal audience. However, he embraces this possibility.
Adopting a tone of mock nervousness, Radtke commented:
“I think I’m going to be really nervous. I think I’m going to be truly scared walking in there. I suppose that might be the case. Is that what you’re expecting? Is that what you’re hoping for, right? That won’t happen.”
Marcus Blakely