Nazi symbols displayed at Duel tournament in Orlando — Jerusalem Post

At a martial arts tournament on August 29 in Orlando, United States, fighter Paul Miller performed a Nazi salute twice after his victory, while spectators displayed the flag of Nazi Germany. The event at the Kia Center was organized and promoted by the crypto casino Duel. Miller’s opponent was Israeli influencer Ben “King” Azulay.

As the Jerusalem Post reports, after the fight Miller insulted Azulay with an antisemitic remark. The publication notes that Miller has tattoos featuring SS symbols, used racist language in his online content and in 2021 was sentenced in the United States to 41 months in federal prison for weapons-related crimes.

Duel content and politicians’ reaction

According to the publication, Nazi symbols and racist statements had already appeared in Duel broadcasts. Blackjack dealer Nelly Levonyan appeared on air several times in a Nazi uniform with a swastika armband. One sketch circulated online used antisemitic insults and a reference to gas chambers.

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Duel owner, Finnish poker player Ossi Ketola, joined a neo-fascist rally in Helsinki organized by the Blue-and-Black Movement party. During a broadcast, he made racist statements about migrants and later, according to the publication, was heard off camera shouting the Nazi slogan “Sieg Heil.”

Florida House of Representatives member Anna Eskamani called on the Florida Athletic Commission to revoke Duel Arena’s license. U.S. Senator from Florida Rick Scott described the event as extremely disturbing and said that antisemitism has no place in Florida. Mark Pitcavage, a senior fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said that after the event criticism was directed mainly at the venue, although, in his view, it did not bear significant responsibility for organizing it.

Organizers’ statements

After the publicity, Duel said it had learned about spectators displaying symbols of hate and promised to counter such manifestations. Before the fight, Ketola posted a video in which he called Miller a Nazi and said that he had been allowed to take part in the bout so that the good guys could get another win. After Miller’s victory, Duel’s Instagram account left a comment saying that the good guys had won.