Nazi Salutes and Swastikas Reported at Orlando’s Kia Center MMA Event

Inside the Kia Center Confrontation and Post-Fight Tirade

The Combat sports card, organized by Duel: Arena at downtown Orlando’s primary indoor arena, drew immediate outrage after spectator videos captured audience members holding up swastika banners and flashing Nazi salutes. The friction centered on the matchup between Israeli Jewish fighter Ben “King” Azoulay and Paul Miller, a far-right internet personality who competes under the name Gypsy Crusader and has a documented history of white supremacist rhetoric. As reported by the Washington Post, Miller launched into an expletive-laden tirade against his opponent immediately after the final bell.

Security Scrutiny and Witness Accounts of the Swastika Flag Display

The appearance of a large red flag bearing a black-on-white swastika in the stands sparked immediate physical confrontations and questions regarding arena security protocols. The Kia Center enforces strict guest guidelines, prohibiting signs with derogatory political statements, offensive clothing, and bags exceeding 4.5 by 6.5 by 1 inches, leaving open how the banner entered the building undetected, according to reporting by Florida Politics.

Video footage reviewed by news outlets showed arena security personnel and a female guard stepping in to confiscate the flag and escort the individual from the crowd amidst boos from surrounding spectators. Patrick Clark, a boxer who competed on the undercard, told Fox 35 that he recorded the incident because he couldn’t believe what was unfolding. Clark added that in six years of living in Orlando, he had never witnessed anything comparable, noting that Miller’s cornermen also participated in giving Nazi salutes to the audience.

City Response, First Amendment Constraints, and Political Fallout

Orlando Venues, the municipal department managing the Kia Center, issued statements condemning the antisemitic imagery while explaining the legal boundaries governing public spaces. According to a statement published on Instagram by Miami New Times, operators of public venues remain bound by the First Amendment and cannot deny access based solely on political ideology or perspectives.

Elected officials and local organizations voiced sharp criticism following the event. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer stated on social media that symbols of hate, including the Nazi flag, were brought to Kia Center this weekend, but hate will never be welcome here. State Representative Anna Eskamani publicly urged the city to reevaluate booking and platform policies for public venues, noting that authorities must explore all angles to prevent similar incidents. The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida also issued a condemnation, criticizing event organizers for granting a public platform to a competitor with visible SS bolt tattoos and a documented extremist history.

Miller’s Criminal Background and Prior Federal Prosecution

The fighter at the center of the controversy carries a record of federal weapons charges and white supremacist activity. In 2021, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a raid on Miller’s home in Fort Lauderdale, seizing an unregistered short-barreled rifle and ammunition, as documented by Daily Mail. Federal prosecutors stated that Miller had published hundreds of online posts calling for a race-based civil war in the United States.

Miller subsequently pleaded guilty to federal felony counts for illegal firearms and ammunition possession. A judge sentenced him to 41 months in federal prison, and he was released from custody in July 2023, according to records from the U.S. Department of Justice cited by Miami New Times. When contacted by local reporters following the Kia Center card, Miller declined an interview and said he did not see an issue with the incident.