ORLANDO, Fla. — What was supposed to be a night of combat sports quickly turned into a chaotic and deeply controversial spectacle after a fighter gave Nazi salutes following his victory over a Jewish opponent, while a spectator displayed a large swastika flag inside Orlando’s city-owned arena.

The incident unfolded Saturday night, August 29, at the Kia Center, home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, during the debut of the Duel Arena combat-sports event.

The main fight featured Paul Nicholas Miller, known online as “GypsyCrusader,” against Jewish influencer and fighter Ben “King” Azoulay.

Miller won the bout by a split decision.

What happened immediately afterward, however, became the focus of widespread condemnation.

The moment that triggered outrage
Video from the event showed Miller making what appeared to be Nazi salutes after the fight.

At the same time, a spectator in the arena displayed a large flag bearing a swastika.

The images quickly spread online, prompting criticism from local officials, Jewish organizations and people who attended the event.

A venue staff member eventually removed the flag, and the spectator was reportedly escorted from the arena.

The incident was particularly controversial because the event was held at the Kia Center, a city-owned venue.

Orlando officials subsequently faced questions about how the display had been allowed inside the arena.

The fight itself was already highly controversial
The matchup between Miller and Azoulay had attracted attention before the fighters even entered the ring.

Azoulay, who is Jewish, walked into the arena carrying an Israeli flag.

Miller has a long history of controversial online activity and has been described by the Anti-Defamation League as a white supremacist accelerationist.

He previously served time in federal prison after pleading guilty to firearm-related offenses. Prosecutors had also cited his extremist statements, including advocacy for a race-based conflict.

The fight therefore brought together two personalities with dramatically opposing public identities, making the atmosphere around the matchup unusually tense.

The post-fight comments intensified the controversy
After judges awarded Miller the victory, he took a microphone and directed an offensive tirade at Azoulay.

His remarks included an antisemitic slur aimed at his opponent.

Miller then appeared to make additional Nazi salutes toward the crowd.

The combination of the gestures, the slur and the swastika flag transformed what had been a controversial sporting event into a much broader controversy over antisemitism and extremist symbolism.

Fights also broke out in the crowd
The controversy did not remain confined to the ring.

Several physical altercations reportedly broke out among spectators in the arena following the fight.

Videos circulating online showed confrontations between people in the crowd, adding another layer of disorder to an already chaotic night.

The event subsequently drew intense scrutiny from local media and community organizations.

Orlando officials condemn the display
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer condemned the appearance of Nazi symbols at the venue.

He said that hate symbols had been brought into the city but would not be welcomed by the community.

Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani also criticized what happened, calling the display deeply disturbing and warning against normalizing antisemitism, racism and white supremacy.

Marni Mandell, CEO of the Central Florida Jewish organization Shalom Orlando, said she was disgusted by the spectacle and urged officials to consider carefully how publicly operated venues handle controversial events in the future.

Why the city says it could not simply cancel the event
The controversy has also raised a difficult legal question.

The Kia Center is operated by the city, but Orlando officials said the First Amendment limits the government’s ability to deny access to a public venue based solely on political ideology or viewpoint.

Orlando Venues said the views expressed by participants did not represent the city, its staff or the venue.

Officials said they would nevertheless review their event policies while continuing to comply with constitutional protections.

Kia America also responds
The event carried another connection that drew attention: the arena is named after Kia, whose U.S. operation is a major corporate partner of the venue.

Kia USA spokesman James Bell condemned the behavior and praised venue employees for responding to the incident.

The company said the conduct seen at the event was inconsistent with its values of respect and dignity.

A fight that became a much bigger story
The controversy surrounding the Orlando event now extends well beyond the result of a single kickboxing match.

Miller technically left the ring as the winner after a split decision.

But the images that emerged afterward — Nazi gestures, a swastika flag, confrontations in the crowd and an offensive post-fight speech — quickly overshadowed the sporting result.

The episode has renewed debate over how combat-sports promotions handle highly controversial personalities, how public venues respond to extremist symbolism, and where the line should be drawn between protected expression and conduct that communities consider threatening or hateful.

For Orlando officials, the incident has also created an uncomfortable question:

How should a city-owned arena respond when an event is legally permitted — but the behavior inside it sparks widespread condemnation?

That debate is likely to continue long after the final bell of the fight has faded.

Course: NY Post