Moments after Paul Miller was declared the winner in a kickboxing fight inside the Kia Center on Saturday, he had a message about his opponent.
“He’s not a tough guy,” Miller said, speaking into a microphone for the whole arena to hear. “He’s not some alpha male. He’s a short little f****** Jew prick.”
Miller, who calls himself Gypsy Crusader, is a far-right internet personality who the Anti-Defamation League has described as a “volatile white supremacist-accelerationist.”
And on Saturday night, he took center stage in a kickboxing match against King Azoulay, a Jewish man from Israel.
“This is a terrifying time,” said Marni Mandell, the CEO of Shalom Orlando, a Jewish non-profit organization. “That he is so brazen as to do that in such a public setting is terrifying.”
Moments after Miller, a convicted felon, stepped out of the ring, he was captured on video appearing to twice give the Nazi salute to the crowd.
Duel: Arena was in charge of the fights. When News 6’s Mike Valente called a number listed on Duel: Arena’s Facebook page, a man who said he represented Island Fights answered the phone.
The man said he was responsible for organizing the matches for many of the fights, but not the ones involving “influencers” like Miller.
He called what happened inside the Kia Center Saturday night “distasteful,” and said he would try to get News 6 in touch with a person representing Duel: Arena. As of this story’s publication, he had not connected us with anyone.
News 6 also reviewed videos taken from the crowd, showing a man in the crowd unfurling a Nazi flag.
Dr. Anna Eskamani, a Democratic state representative and current candidate for Orlando mayor, wrote on Facebook that she was “disgusted” and called the incident in the crowd “another reminder of how prevalent extremism is in our society and the responsibility we all have to combat it.”
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott also commented on one of the videos of the flag, calling it “utterly disgusting.”
“Antisemitism has NO PLACE in Florida,” Scott wrote on X.
The Kia Center, which is owned and operated by the city of Orlando, prohibits signs with indecent or derogatory comments/images, political statements, and commercial references, according to its website.
Orlando Venues responded Tuesday afternoon with an updated statement addressing remarks heard and images seen inside Kia Center on Saturday. The statement came in response to questions about whether the city had prior knowledge of Miller’s planned participation — and whether it could have prevented the event from taking place at the venue.
“Orlando Venues and the City of Orlando unequivocally condemn all forms of hate speech, discrimination, antisemitism, racism and any message that encourages hatred or violence against any person or group. We understand that many people in the Orlando community feel hurt, angry and concerned about the recent Duel Arena event. To be clear: those views belong solely to the individuals who expressed them. They do not reflect the values of Orlando viewers, the City of Orlando or our staff that work tirelessly to provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
As operators of public venues, the City is bound by the First Amendment. This means we cannot deny access because we disagree with the political ideology, opinion or perspective, regardless of the message. However, the legal reality does not soften our condemnation of what occurred.
We hear the community’s concern and we take it seriously. Orlando Venues remains committed to ensuring our facilities are safe and inclusive. We will continue reviewing our event policies to uphold that commitment while respecting the Constution.”
Orlando Venues
Orlando Mayor Dyer also issued a statement.
“Symbols of hate, including the Nazi flag, were brought to Kia Center this weekend. But hate will never be welcome here. Our community will continue to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate to ensure that Orlando is a place where every person is valued and respected.”
Mayor Buddy Dyer
Kia also released a statement to News 6 on Wednesday:
“As Kia America is the naming rights partner of the Kia Center, we are not involved in its operations or security protocols. However, we appreciate the prompt action taken by venue personnel to address the situation. Such behaviors are in stark contrast to the values of respect and dignity that we, and our employees, fully support and promote.”
Kia America spokesperson