One of the most shocking moments in television history took place last night during the 94th Academy Awards when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on live television, causing the MMA community along with the rest of social media to become absolutely lit.
It was a typical night at the Oscars until Chris Rock came on stage as a presenter. No one could anticipate what would happen next.
Prior to presenting the award, Rock joked that Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, should star in the “G.I. Jane 2”. G.I. Jane is a 1997 film starring Demi Moore, who played a woman undergoing special operations training and sporting a military buzzcut.
Pinkett Smith currently suffers from alopecia. Thus, unlike the character in the G.I. Jane film, her hair loss is not by choice.
So when Rock told the following joke, he breached into a sensitive area with a volatile and shocking backlash. The joke begins at the 20-second mark of the video below, which also contains Smith’s violent reaction.
“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it! Alright?” as Rock is busting a gut, Smith tries to laugh it off as well but Pinkett Smith can be seen rolling her eyes and is visibly bothered by the joke.
Moments later, Smith walked up to the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face as Rock’s hands were behind his back in a Masvidal-esque posture. After returning to his seat, Smith explicitly demanded that Rock keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
You can find the uncensored exchange below.
The MMA Community Reacts To Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock
The entire world was abuzz with shock, amusement, and a litany of other emotions at what transpired. The MMA community was no different.
Check out some of the reactions, starting with the UFC President Dana White himself, who was clearly quite entertained by the fiasco.
“FINALLY!!!!! there’s an #Oscars show worth watching. AND @chrisrock has a chin,” White said.
“Anyone watching the #Oscars? Will Smith is a gangster for that one, Chris rock was the ultimate professional for the way he continued,” Jon Jones tweeted.
“I need to watch that back, looked pretty real to me,” Jones countered when a fan suggested the altercation was staged.
“Very hard to surprise me nowadays but watching Will Smith slap the shit out of Chris Rock is very surprising! I’m actually amazed that this happened. You could see the moment Will started to feel played.”
Well done mr will smith
— C HT O
V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) March 28, 2022
“Well done mr will smith,” Chito Vera commended.
“We giving points for slapping comedians……..yall real inconsistent out here,” Sodiq Yusuff wrote.
“Lmao!!!!!!!!! If that was @ColbyCovMMA he would of been on the phone calling 911 while trying to give Trump a hand job. Well played @chrisrock. You took that shit like a man… You should catch him in the parking lot lol,” Sean Strickland wrote.
“Fuck Will smith, this mother fucker gets on stage after smacking a man in the face and starts crying while the crowd cheers… The fuck backwards world are we living in?!?! Liberal logic, next time I smack a mother fucker in anger I’m just gonna cry and talk about God,” he later added.
Here were some other reactions around the MMA world:
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) March 28, 2022
Smith apologized to the Academy during his acceptance speech for winning the Best Actor In A Leading Role (King Richard). Chris Rock declined to press any criminal charges.
Which of the above MMA figure’s reactions most accurately captures your own to the “slap felt ’round the world?”
Continue Reading Dana White & MMA Community React To The Slap Felt ‘Round The World at MMA News.
Dana White & MMA Community React To The Slap Felt ‘Round The World
