Controversies just can not escape Jake Shields! After his questionable remarks on Greta Thunberg‘s involvement with Andrew Tate, Shields has stirred up a fresh pot of controversy. In a recent tweet, Jake slammed Lia Thomas, who is a transgender athlete and an NCAA swimmer. The former UFC welterweight title challenger went as far as to call Thomas a “s*x offender.”
So what is the origin of the controversy? It all started with an opinion piece that Riley Gaines published on Fox News. She herself is a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer. Gaines also won the SEC Championship 5-times. However, she feels “betrayed and belittled” after Lia, formerly known as Will Thomas, was allowed to take part in a national female swimming competition.
To support her case that Lia had an unfair advantage, Riley pointed out Thomas’ previous record as a part of the men’s swimming team. Riley added that Lia Thomas spent three years as a part of the University of Pennsylvania’s male swimming team. However, the best rank she had was 462. But Lia, who stands at 6’4, managed to win the NCAA Championship in her very first year, taking part in the female competition.
What did Jake Shields say about transgender athlete Lia Thomas?
Riley Gaines’ disdain reached its peak when Lia was awarded the NCAA Woman of the Year. Not only that, but Gaines also revealed that none of the women were consulted about Lia’s inclusion in the women’s locker room and she was “exposed to male genitalia.” Jake Shields’ tweet was in response to that.
This dude belongs on a sex offender registry instead they make make him women of the year pic.twitter.com/6r3YsBClOl
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) February 9, 2023
He wrote, “This dude belongs on a s*x offender registry instead they make make him women of the year.” So it does not look like Jake is afraid to tackle the issue. Although his statements are bound to create controversy, he is not the first MMA personality to speak up on the matter.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan also famously revealed his thoughts on transgender athletes. On his world-famous “The Joe Rogan Experience” (JRE) podcast, he had a conversation with Jordan Peterson. To establish his point of view, Joe Rogan used Brock Lesnar as an example. Although this particular conversation took place a number of years ago, it eerily parallels the situation between Riley Gaines and Lia Thomas.
Rogan said, “If you gave Brock Lesnar a s*x change and put him in a dress, he is gonna run through every woman that has ever lived in the history of women. There’s not a single woman that’s gonna be able to deal with that bone structure and the mind that guy has had with testosterone pumping through it for 39 years. It’s just not fair.”
What is your take on the issue? Do you see merit in arguments presented by Riley Gaines, Jake Shields, and Joe Rogan? Let us know in the comments down below.