UFC Tampa fighter issues sincere apology after being accused of disrespecting the American flag at weigh-ins

A UFC fighter recently came under fire after she was accused of disrespecting the American flag at UFC Tampa weigh-ins. In response, the individual apologized for her conduct, explaining that she did not mean any disrespect and was carried off by the pressure of performing in front of a large audience.

The fighter in question is Miranda Maverick, who faced Jamey-Lyn Horth at UFC Tampa, which is currently taking place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Before her matchup, Maverick was spotted dragging down the American flag during her face-off against Horth at the ceremonial weigh-ins, which didn't sit well with many.

During the post-fight press conference following her victory, Maverick stated that it was not her intention to let the flag touch the ground, and she apologized for her actions, saying:

''I did drag the flag a little bit last night, I told them, 'you don't understand the pressure of going out in front of ten thousand's people and TV and all that', but I let the flag drop when I shook Dana's hand and everything. So, I apologize to all the veterans out there, all the patriots out there, Americans. My husband is a veteran. I meant zero disrespect by letting the flag touch the ground. I'm a proud American and always will be.''

Check out Miranda Maverick's comments below (via MMA Fighting's X post):

Maverick took on Horth in a flyweight bout in the prelims of UFC Tampa. The 27-year-old entered the contest with a three-fight win streak. In her last octagon appearance at UFC Vegas 94 earlier this year, the American secured a unanimous decision against Dione Barbosa.

Meanwhile, Horth was coming off a split-decision win against Ivana Petrovic at UFC Edmonton last month. Following three rounds of action, Maverick was declared winner via unanimous decision, earning her third win of the year.