White supremacist fighter Paul Miller flashed a Nazi salute to the crowd after defeating Jewish opponent Ben Azoulay at a kickboxing event in Orlando, prompting condemnation from city officials and Jewish community leaders.
Miller, a convicted felon known online as “GypsyCrusader,” was declared the winner Saturday night at the Kia Center, home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. The 35-year-old has an SS lightning bolt tattoo and has been designated a “volatile white supremacist-accelerationist” by the Anti-Defamation League.
Azoulay, a Jewish influencer who fights under the name “King,” entered the ring carrying an Israeli flag. That display triggered immediate provocation from Miller’s supporters, according to WESH 2. Someone in the audience unfurled a Nazi flag while others flashed Nazi salutes. About a half-dozen fights broke out in the arena section before a venue staffer grabbed the swastika banner and removed it.
Miller seized the microphone after his victory to heap slurs on Azoulay.
“He’s not a tough guy. He’s not some alpha male. He’s a short little f–king Jew prick,” he told the crowd.
Video circulating on social media shows Miller gave the Nazi salute twice as he exited the ring.
Azoulay fired back on social media, vowing to “take down every Anti Semite.” He mocked his opponent with a pointed jab about the fight’s physical toll.
“He got kicked in the nuts too so no Nazi babies for him,” Azoulay wrote.
The bout was not Miller’s first brush with federal authorities. Reports said that FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force raided his Fort Lauderdale home five years ago. Miller pleaded guilty to three felony counts: possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of ammunition, and possession of a weapon as a felon. Prosecutors have said he advocated for a “race-based civil war.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer moved quickly to distance the city from the spectacle.
“A symbol of hate was brought to our city this weekend. But hate, fear and division will never be welcome here,” Dyer wrote on X.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat whose district includes Orlando, amplified the condemnation on Instagram.
“Disgusting, and another reminder of how prevalent extremism is in our society and the responsibility we all have to combat antisemitism, racism, white supremacy, and more,” she wrote.
Marni Mandell, CEO of central Florida Jewish organization Shalom Orlando, told WESH 2 she was “completely disgusted and nauseated” by what she witnessed. She said Orlando’s Jewish community rejects such hatred and pressed the city to scrutinize agreements for future publicly funded events.
“What I would really like to do is to focus on the core issues that, as a community and as a society, we cannot let antisemitism fester, let alone be amplified in the way that it was,” Mandell said.
City management pushed back on any suggestion they could have blocked the event, telling WESH 2 that as public venue operators they are bound by the First Amendment and cannot deny access based on political ideology.
Kia USA, whose name adorns the arena, also condemned the incident through spokesman James Bell.
“We appreciate the prompt action taken by venue personnel to address the situation. Such behaviors are in stark contrast to the values of respect and dignity that we, and our employees, fully support and promote,” Bell said.