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Accused Neo-Nazi Hooligan Benjamin Brinsa Signs With the UFC

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#1 ·
Earlier this month, the UFC signed Benjamin “The Hooligan” Brinsa, a 13-0 welterweight prospect from Leipzig, Germany. That name might not mean anything to you, but for followers of the German MMA scene, it carries some very negative connotations.

True to his nickname, Brinsa is a member of the Leipzig-based hooligan group Scenario LOK. Brinsa’s MMA team, La Familia, reportedly has connections to the local Neo-Nazi scene, and Brinsa himself used to help run a mail-order service for Neo-Nazi rock music. Here are a few excerpts from German news articles that share more details about Brinsa’s questionable background and connections (rough translations via Google)…

Linksunten, 5/10/13

La Familia borders on xenophobia and extremism…La Familia [is where] violent neo-Nazis from the spectrum of the “National Boys” train (JN) and the sponsors and fighters of LaFamilia are known neo-Nazis. The most famous of them is Benjamin Brinsa, a fighter [who] in the past was in combat sporting events such as the “Respect Fighting Championship” in Essen, but was discharged because of his right machinations.

Brinsa is a member of the right-hooligan group “Scenario LOK” from Leipzig and posed behind a banner reading “ultras LOK – National Resistance”. In addition, he was with Thomas Persdorf, a nationally known neo Nazi and operator of the shipment “Front Records”, registered as a director of a company that managed the site “Aryan Brotherhood”. According to information from the Leipzig anti-fascist magazine “Gamma,” he is said to have worked as a janitor in the “national center” in Leipzig-Lindenau. Brinsa received a stadium ban in Leipzig due to his violence. He and his friend Christopher “Joker” Henze, also a member of the right-hooligan group “Scenario LOK” were received with open arms by La Familia and courted as “two powerful new additions” with “aggressive fighting style”…

La Familia’s prominent members include a number of neo-Nazis [who] train there for their attacks on other people. These include several people in the “National Boys” (JN) (the NPD youth organization). Among them, Mario Alexander Müller, convicted neo-Nazi from Delmenhorst. He was recently convicted of an attack on an anti-fascists from Delmenhorst…

One of the ticket agencies and sponsors of LaFamilia “Fight Night” is the Tattoo & Piercing Studio White Skull in the street Köthener Halle-Trotha. There works Florian Jass, a neo-Nazi from the area…who participated in the neo-Nazi rally on May 01, 2011 in Halle…

Taz.de, 8/3/12

On Thursday of last week, there suddenly appeared in the “Martial Arts Board,” an MMA Internet forum, an anonymous open letter titled: “Nazis during Respect Fighting Championship 7?”. It [gave] evidence that Benjamin Brinsa [belonged to] the Leipzig hooligan scene – and has close ties to Nazi scene.

In an article of the German magazine “contrasts”, also linked to the anonymous writer explains a hooded hooligan hatred of Jews, foreigners and blacks. A comparison of language and voice with an interview of the fighter Benjamin Brinsa suggests: it is the same man. [Ed. note: That part is sort of hard to parse out, but basically, a video of a masked hooligan was shown on German TV talking about his hatred of the aforementioned minority groups, and he was identified as Brinsa from his voice.]

[Respect Fighting Championship] organiser Ben Helm was initially reluctant. In “Martial Arts Board,” he explained, “we will have no room for a neo-fascist or racist fighter in RESPECT.FC,” [but] quoted at the same time from a statement that Brinsa had made to him, in that he rejects the allegations and explained to have nothing to do with Nazis. Helm left him on the fight card.

However, it lasted only one day, until the swarm intelligence of the network had further researched. Came to light: Leipzig Antifa activists have written several times about Brinsa and published photos. On we see him in a group of men behind a “fan” Poster: “ultras locomotive – National Resistance”…

Brinsa, as is apparent from the Commercial Register of the Local Court of Leipzig is also registered Managing Director of A & B UG Service, which is responsible for the site of an “Aryan Brotherhood” (Aryan Brotherhood). Co-CEO is Thomas Persdorf – and the latest on this point, the level of Nazi prominence is achieved because Persdorf was also owner of Front Records, a leading distributor of Nazi music clothing and other right accessories.

On Monday this week, [Helm] decided to take Brinsa off the fight card: “I wanted beforehand obviously a few things not quite see,” [??] confessed Helm contrite. The good fight record, the sporting successes Brinsas had been important to him. Rumors about the Brinsas’s tied to the hooligan scene he had not taken seriously, and says he regrets, because he had “absolutely no desire to [have] Nazis, either in the ring or in the audience.”

Antifa Infoblatt, 5/1/13

The 23-year-old middleweight fighter of “La Familia Fight Club” teams (Halle / Saale) was [removed from] the largest MMA event Respect.FC” earlier this year, after his connections in the Saxon neo- scene were detected…Moreover Brinsas hooligan group Scenario Leipzig “was belligerent together with various neo-Nazis, also members of the group in football riots. Pictures show him behind a banner reading “Ultras locomotive – National Resistance”. For Respect.FC organizer Ben Helm that was enough: He made it clear that he was “absolutely no desire [have] to Nazis, either in the ring or in the audience,” The influential German-language martial arts portal “Groundandpound” welcomed the decision at the time, but also quoted Brinsa as saying “I’m not a Nazi.” Given the facts, a preposterous claim.

Even though German MMA promoters have started to keep their distance from Brinsa, “The Hooligan” somehow managed to land a contract with the biggest MMA promotion in the world. You’d think that Zuffa would have learned its lesson about not doing basic background checks on its fighters. Brinsa is not the kind of the person that should be representing the UFC, and we hope the promotion re-considers the signing once they learn a little more about his past associations.

Update #1: UFC president Dana White tweeted earlier today that he’s “looking into it,” in response to one of his followers sending him this story. White later deleted the tweet.


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#44 ·
Brinsa posted a statement on his facebook:

Benjamin Brinsa
Yesterday
Dear fans,

here is my public statement on the allegations that have been made against me on various websites yesterday:

I am not a neo-Nazi, never have been, never will be. At no time in my life have I ever made any xenophobic, anti-Semitic or racist statements, either in public or in private. Yes, I do have a past as a football hooligan in my youth, but that is a thing of the past as I have been solely focusing on my professional career for the past couple of years.

My grappling coach and good friend Marcin Bandel hails from Poland and I have friends from all over the world. Next week, I will join a training camp with fighters from Bosnia, Brazil, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Russia and Tunesia – do you think I had any interest in training with all these non-German athletes if I was a neo-Nazi? There is just no place for racism and xenophobia in an international, global sport like MMA.

I've been trying to take legal action against the person that has started the smear campaign against me on the internet, but unfortunately to no avail so far as he hides behind synonyms and publishes his defamation on websites with no legal information. For the past two years this guy has been contacting promoters, sponsors, authorities and journalists trying to prevent me from getting fights and trying to destroy my reputation.

My friends and training partners come from various nationalities, religious and social backgrounds. I don't support any kind of political extremism, racism, xenophobia or neo-Nazi ideas and ideologies. In fact, I am a completely non-political person. Right now, I only have three goals in life: Being the best man I possibly can for my beautfil girlfriend and future wife, being a good example to my son and becoming the best fighter I can possibly be.

-- Benny
https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminBrinsaMMA
 
#47 ·
Australia the land of the of sunny sky , exotic animals and citizens in denial about their heritage.

sounds like another country thats quite big.
hmm don't think you know what you're talking about when it comes to heritage.
 
#49 · (Edited by Moderator)
#54 ·
Quite a bit of Scottish mocking in this thread. I find it offensive. We are nothing like our stereotype.

Now excuse me while I leave this thread and go get blind ass drunk for as cheap as possible and cause some bother. Good day sirs.
 
#55 ·
I was going to take a bit of a break from this site, but I really feel compelled to say something here:

This is proof that despite hearing the other side of the story and there being no evidence of negativity whatsoever, people will still punish you regardless of whether you are guilty or not. I've met Brinsa a few times and even trained with him on one occasion. He is a good young man. I was esctatic when I heard he had signed with the UFC as he has been one of my favourite fighters to watch from Germany. Very intelligent and very hard working. He has no affiliations with any silly Neo Nazi organisations and I wish people would know that.
 
#56 ·
I was going to take a bit of a break from this site, but I really feel compelled to say something here:

This is proof that despite hearing the other side of the story and there being no evidence of negativity whatsoever, people will still punish you regardless of whether you are guilty or not. I've met Brinsa a few times and even trained with him on one occasion. He is a good young man. I was esctatic when I heard he had signed with the UFC as he has been one of my favourite fighters to watch from Germany. Very intelligent and very hard working. He has no affiliations with any silly Neo Nazi organisations and I wish people would know that.
Obviously there IS evidence and because of it, he was already banned from a German MMA promotion.

On the first page of this thread you have a photo, apparently, showing Brinsa together with "Ultras Lok" a group of Neo-Nazi football hooligans. On the banner they show written "Nationaler Widerstand" ("national resistance" - which is a Neo-Nazi network)

Then there is this video showing a masked Neo-Nazi hooligan, wearing a "Steinar" (Neo-Nazi label) sweater (~ 1:00, 3:00)



who, comparing his voice (tone, accent, lisp), inclined lips and the space width between his front teeth, shows quite some similarities to Brinsa:



And a German newspaper writes

Denn Brinsa, wie aus dem Handelsregister beim Leipziger Amtsgericht hervorgeht, ist auch eingetragener Geschäftsführer der Firma A&B Service UG, die verantwortlich für die Website einer "Aryan Brotherhood" (Arische Brüderschaft) zeichnet. Mitgeschäftsführer ist Thomas Persdorf – und spätestens an diesem Punkt ist die Ebene der Nazi-Prominenz erreicht, denn Persdorf hat nicht nur eine Textildruckfabrik, in der rechte Kleidung hergestellt wird, sondern war auch Inhaber von Front Records, einem führenden Vertrieb von Nazi-Musik, Kleidung und sonstigen rechten Assessoires.
"According to Leipzig commercial register, Brinsa is the CEO of the A&B Service UG company, which was responsible for the Aryan Brotherhood website. Co-CEO Thomas Persdorf - a prominent Neo-Nazi - has a company for extreme rightwing clothes label and is the owner of "Front Records", one of the leading distributors of Nazi-music, clothes and accerssories."

http://www.taz.de/!89207/
 
#57 ·
In the west, we get so judgmental of what we consider to be an offensive belief system. I'm sure there's plenty of UFC fighters who are adamant that Christianity is correct, and that other religions are diluted or represent falsehoods.

If someone in UFC said that white people should stick together, he'd be blasted for it. Jones said this the other way, and is UFC's poster boy.

The guy believes in the Nazi way and believes his race is superior. Rousey offends Caraway on a daily basis, Ben Henderson annoys people with his religious agendas, these things aren't a problem but the belief system of this dude that his race is superior crosses the line?

He's a fighter. If he's good enough and doesnt break the rules, let him fight.
 
#58 ·
I think the difference is that MOST churches (except for say Westboro Baptist types) nowadays don't espouse violence or outright hatred against other religions or belief systems, only theological disagreements or at worst pamphlets and protests, or say Rousey doesn't espouse genocide against all Caraways on the face of the earth, whereas MOST neo nazi groups actively espouse hatred and violence against other races.

There are exceptions on either side of course, but this is generally true on average. Take a walk through a random christian forum on the net, and you generally won't find exhortations to wipe out the vermin muslims or whatever with the boot of superior justice, but you will likely find that kind of thing on the neo nazi ones.

But I do agree that as long as Brinsa didn't actually have a criminal background to go with his beliefs, his beliefs however controversial shouldn't be a deciding factor.

However the UFC is pretty politically correct and them not wanting to deal with the media fallout of all this is not surprising ... if they suspended Meathead for his fallon fox comments, and fire Torres for his **** jokes, I don't think they'd want to touch this one with a ten foot pole. I think the entire non-white world is probably a bigger chunk of their audience than either women or the LGBT community.
 
#60 ·
This guy should be able to fight if he is a neo nazi or not imo. If he is a nazi, which I believe he is, he is just for the betterment of his own people. Much like every other cultural or racial group in the world. He's not out lynching minorities or putting jews in the gas chamber.
 
#61 ·
You're doing a decent job of finding a *********** supporter who isn't racist though. There was a debate on the radio a while ago where a guy had a tattoo of a Swastika and *********** tattooed on his leg. I was actually ready to phone in and stand up to the point that he's not putting someone else down, and he isn't supporting racism like the radio guys were saying. Then he picked up the phone. Yep, arsehole.
 
#72 ·
lol its my initials, nick edward olive and the first 3 numbers i could think of seeing as neo was taken (thanks matrix lol)
I never said anything racist whatsoever i was the one saying i'd look forward to seeing him lose to a black guy because its like karma.
I don't post often because i see people get ripped to shreds on here and now i think i won't bother again.
I know you didn't accuse me of being racist but i sense a lot of crap coming my way because of my bloody username!
Shame you didn't read my posts because i'm sure you wouldn't have felt the need to keep a close eye on me.
You live and learn...
 
#79 ·
In this thread i have learned it is perfectly fine for another human being to believe that anyone who isn't white is sub-human and it is in their right to belie that and they shouldn't be held accountable for having such a pathetic outlook on life.

But if you are black,tall,young, have a lot of reach and beat up a bunch of peoples favorite fighters and you have confident in your skills, being cocky even. well then nearly anything you say will "justifiably" get blown up out of proportion and/or to the point where said people will wish grievous bodily harm on you and that's okay....................but denying a nazi his place among civil people......well folks, that is just wrong.

Edit: now of course he says he wasn't but even if he was but then changed, well then he absolutely deserves his contract and not to be labelled a Nazi but man......

Imagine if Jon Jones and Bendo said they supported the Black Panthers? I'm pretty sure a lot of people from the MMA community would band together to put out a hit on them.
 
#82 ·
I wouldn't have a problem with a Panther tattoo. While the group has made some mistakes and some of their members were pretty bad people, it was formed during a time of serious racial inequality for black people. Back when white-only bathrooms and drinking fountains were pretty common, and a restaurant could actually deny someone entry based solely on the color of their skin, and they did a lot of work to combat that. Repping the group doesn't offend me.

Samuel L Jackson was a Black Panther too... fun fact.
 
#85 ·
Many black panthers worked toward social change in a time when blacks being blatantly and legally discriminated against. I'd be angry too if people told me I couldn't enter their place of business because of the color of my skin. You can feel free to ignore the context though.
 
#86 ·
Many black panthers worked toward social change in a time when blacks being blatantly and legally discriminated against. I'd be angry too if people told me I couldn't enter their place of business because of the color of my skin. You can feel free to ignore the context though.
Again I have to ask, like what exactly?

there were 2 main factions in the Black Panther Party, the ones who wanted to focus on drugs and prostitution and the idiots who wanted a real war. I don't think Mr. Jackson was really a member of either. Do fun facts have to be facts or just have a good context?

there were some women panthers that tried to work politically. They were beaten and murdered by panthers... but in the right context I guess that's cool.
 
#91 ·
They had a statement from the guy on Inside MMA and he said the pictures they show are of him when he was 16 and it was a soccer club. He denied having any affiliations with Neo Nazi's.

I think the UFC had it right though, he might have been so let's kill his career. Can't have anyone get offended.

:bye02:
 
#93 ·
They had a statement from the guy on Inside MMA and he said the pictures they show are of him when he was 16 and it was a soccer club. He denied having any affiliations with Neo Nazi's.
He can deny all he wants, but as written in the German newspaper article I have translated parts of there is obviously enough proof that he actually has affiliations with Neo Nazis. He also got banned for this by a German MMA organisation.
 
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