USA TODAY: Matt Mitrione learned lessons from UFC suspension for rant

(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

Five months after the UFC suspended him for a rant aimed at transgender fighter Fallon Fox, heavyweight Matt Mitrione said he regretted his choice of words but was unconcerned about perception.

“My job is to go out and perform,” Mitrione told USA TODAY Sports. “As long as I do that, then other people’s opinions don’t matter, as long as my bosses are happy with my performance and the way I conduct myself.

“I got a little loose on this situation and spoke a little too freely or harshly. As (for) people’s perceptions of me, it’s not terribly relevant.”

Mitrione (6-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) returns to work Saturday against his former teammate on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, Brendan Schaub (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), whom he meets at UFC 165 at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET).

While he certainly isn’t tiptoeing around the incident that prompted the UFC to briefly suspend him and reportedly fine him heavily, he is moving forward more aware of how much he cares about those closest to him. That, he said, is the main reason he was eager to make amends.

“I have a cousin that lives down here in South Florida,” Mitrione said. “He’s gay and been gay forever. He’s a host at a couple of clubs down here, and we’re pretty tight.”

The cousin reacted like many others after Mitrione called Fox a “lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak” on an Internet radio show.

“He told me he felt I got a little bit loose but understood my point,” Mitrione said. “I care about him, and if I hurt him it would’ve upset me more than anything else in the world.”

Mitrione said he hadn’t wavered in his belief that athletic commissions need a better system in place for more relevant medical information to come out before people compete.

But he’s aware his message was lost within its delivery.

“My words came out more aggressively than I intended them to,” Mitrione said. “I ad-libbed, and I should have thought more about my words. I’ve moved on from it, and hopefully everybody else can, too.”

Several weeks after his rant, Mitrione issued a public apology and agreed to work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. When the UFC called to facilitate the process, he said he consulted first with his cousin.

In early July, Mitrione and openly bisexual fighter Jessica Aguilar spoke to a group of 60 or so at a school fundraiser held at the Pride Center at Equality Park in Wilton Manors, Fla.

“He spoke to the group, and he was very nice and seemed very genuine,” Pride Center CEO Robert Boo said. “I found him to be very engaging.”

For the latest on UFC 165, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.