UFC flyweight Jeff Molina is making headlines in the fighting world for issues outside the Octagon.
The 25-year-old announced that he is bisexual in a lengthy Twitter post after video of him performing a sexual act with another man leaked in recent days.
Molina will not be participating in any cards anytime soon due to a suspension for his alleged role in a betting scheme.
dailymail.com take a look at who Molina is both inside and outside the Octagon after his exit.
Suspended UFC fighter Jeff Molina came out as bisexual in a Twitter post this week
The 25-year-old was born in New Jersey but grew up in Kansas, first participating in wrestling.
Who is Jeff Molina?
Molina was born in New Jersey but grew up in Kansas, attending Olathe South High School, 25 miles southwest of Kansas City.
It is there that he began his path to MMA and a career in the UFC. Molina was part of the wrestling team and began training in mixed martial arts at age 14.
In 2017, he began working with trainer James Krause, who is involved in a betting investigation before the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), on Glory MMA.
Naturally, Molina is a fan of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, once wearing a Patrick Mahomes jersey to the ring before a win at UFC 261.
Molina began fighting as an amateur before coming to Dana White’s UFC. He went 9-0 as an amateur before his first professional fight at the Victory Fight Championship in 2017.
After a 7-2 professional record, Molina made his UFC debut in April 2021 at UFC 261.
Molina’s UFC career began in April 2021, which began with a unanimous victory against Aori Qileng.
Why is it in the news?
Molina revealed that he is bisexual after an unknown individual leaked a video of him performing a sexual act with another man.
Until this time, there was no public knowledge of Molina’s sexual preferences. She released a statement via Twitter on Thursday.
‘Well… this sucks. TLDR (too long, don’t read): im bi’, she began.
‘Not the way I wanted to do this, but the opportunity to do it was taken away from me when I was ready. I have tried to keep my love life private from social media.
“I’ve dated girls my whole life and bottled up the feelings I had during high school on the wrestling team, during college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream come true and getting into the UFC.
I’m a pretty masculine guy and that bro-y jokes and his sense of humor has always been who I am. The idea of my friends, teammates, and people I look up to looking at me differently, let alone treating me differently for something I can’t control, was something I couldn’t comprehend.
‘In a sport like this, where the majority of the fans are homophobic cocksuckers, I don’t see myself doing this during this part of my career. I wanted to be known for my skills and what I’ve spent the last 11 years of my life not and not as the “bi ufc fighter” which I’m sure would translate to “gay UFC fighter”.
‘To the terribly disturbed person who decided to post this, I hope it was worth it. At the end of the day, I know my character, my morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I get hated/fucked off, I get the same amount of support and that means a ton.”
Molina came out on social media, explaining how she had previously suppressed her desires.
Molina chose to wear rainbow shorts to a UFC Vegas 56 fight last June in the middle of ‘Pride Month’
What have you done in your UFC career?
Molina has a 3-0 record during his nearly three-year stint in the UFC. The orthodox fighter has three wins, two by decision and one via KO/TKO.
His most recent fight was against Zhalgas Zhumagulov on June 4, 2022, which he won via split decision. Molina won his first UFC fight against Aori Qileng via unanimous decision and backed it up with a KO/TKO against Daniel Da Silva in October 2021.
Molina, professionally speaking, is currently on a 10 win streak. However, his future in the UFC is currently uncertain after being suspended by the NSAC in late December due to his ties to Krause. Molina’s proposed fight with Jimmy Flick on January 14 did not take place.
“Jeff Molina has been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and will not be scheduled by the UFC for any bouts, either in Nevada or elsewhere, pending the outcome of the commission’s investigation,” a statement read from UFC January.
The UFC Athlete Code of Conduct strictly prohibits fighters and their team members from gambling on UFC events, and the UFC will take all necessary steps to enforce that policy. UFC remains committed to cooperating with the proper authorities while this matter is investigated.”
Krause is currently suspended by the NSAC due to a suspicious gambling investigation. There was an unusual move on the betting line on a fight between one of Krause’s fighters, Darrick Minner, prior to Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke on November 5.
According ESPNthe commission’s skepticism relates to a perceived failure to disclose Minner’s injury on a pre-fight medical form.
Molina won a split decision in his most recent fight against Zhalgas Zhumagulov of Kazakhstan in 2021.
Has it been news before?
Molina alluded to receiving backlash for his announcement following the video’s appearance, and drew similar criticism for wearing rainbow-colored shorts during their most recent fight.
At this time, there were no hints that Molina was bisexual. After the fight, she revealed that the shorts were chosen primarily because she enjoyed the color and also because he supported “a good cause.”
“I will support anything from a community that has been oppressed and ostracized for some time for something they can’t help themselves,” he said in June 2021.
I’ll get behind all of that. It wasn’t that long ago that there was school segregation, and that was less than one person ago, something like Stonewall, that was about 50 years ago. That’s not even a whole person ago, man, this is a recent thing.
“I thought in 2022 people would be a little more open and not pieces of shit, but I guess I was wrong. It’s crazy to me.
“People were saying crazy things and like, dude, what would you do if your kid was gay? Mind your own business, it doesn’t concern you. Get f*****.
He continued: ‘Who the hell cares, bro? It’s not even about being an ally, I’m not saying I’m not, but it’s like, just be a decent person.
Molina wore the rainbow shorts during his eventual victory, defending his choice after the fight.
Whats Next?
Molina’s wrestling future currently remains unknown given the pending NSAC investigation.
His loyalty to Coach Krause also affects his ability to currently participate in the UFC.
However, at Molina’s age, it seems unlikely that he would end up with professional wrestling.
Molina’s proposed fight with Jimmy Flick on January 14 was not brought forward again