Source: National File
A male-to-female transgender mixed martial arts fighter, who twice broke a woman’s opponent’s skull in a fight, has been named the “bravest athlete in history.”
Fallon Fox, who rose to prominence in 2013-14, is an infamous transgender MMA fighter who demolished her opponent Erika Newsome in a Coral Gables, FL, MMA fight.
Fox, according to The Verge, “secured a grip on Newsome’s head… With her hands gripping the back of Newsome’s skull, she delivered a massive knee, bringing her leg up while pulling her opponent’s head down. The blow landed on Newsome’s chin and dropped her, unconscious, face-first on the mat.”
Fox also defeated Tamikka Brents, giving her a concussion and breaking 7 orbital bones, reported Sott.
In spite of an innate biological advantage over her opponent, Out Sports–a sports subdivision of Out magazine–claimed that “Fallon Fox is still the bravest athlete in history,” in a recent headline on the controversial athlete.
Out Sports explains, “Fox stood strong and continued to push for, and earn, her right to compete.”
Except for one fateful match, she also won every time she stepped into the professional ring.
Fox has remained hidden from the fighting scene and public eye for a while due to injuries.
Fox said, “I would have kept going but the injuries were the biggest reason,” before going onto explain, “Some people suspected it was the UFC not letting me in, but that wasn’t the ultimate goal. Some people would ask if I wanted to fight in the UFC, and yeah, I would have taken that opportunity. But even without that I would have just kept fighting.”
The author of the piece slams naysayers, such as Joe Rogan, as being “vicious for the sake of being vicious.”
The author later explains that sensational headlines emphasizing how a trans athlete broke her competitor’s skull were overblown as “Broken bones and concussions are not uncommon in MMA.”
Fox said, “This happens all the time,” adding, “I’m not the first female MMA fighter who’s broken another fighter’s bones or caused a large amount of stitches or a concussion or any combination of those.
“And people will of course, because I’m trans, hold it up as this devastating thing that couldn’t possibly happen if I weren’t trans. But there are many different examples of similar things happening.”
Fox’s ability to compete against women has been subject of much controversy.
Another trans athlete, Hannah Mouncey, caused ample controversy over competing for Australia’s women’s handball team–after competing as a male athlete.
Recently, Mouncey was dropped from the squad for making some teammates feel uncomfortable in the locker room and showers.