Ex-MMA star Nate Marquardt sparks backlash over tweet about two men kissing during commercial

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Nate Marquardt, a former mixed martial arts star who competed in UFC and Strikeforce, received backlash on social media over the weekend when he tweeted about watching a commercial featuring two men kissing.

Marquardt called the commercial "disgusting." He apparently tuned in to ESPN to watch Erin Blanchfield defeat Jessica Andrade via submission and Zac Pauga defeat Jordan Wright via decision.

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Nate Marquardt punches down at James Te Huna during the UFC Fight Night at Vector Arena on June 28, 2014, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

"Wow disgusting commercial watching @ESPNPlus with my kids and have to tell them to look away so they don’t see two men kissing," he tweeted.

The 43-year-old Wyoming native defended himself in subsequent tweets as his remarks made the rounds across social media. He wrote he was "standing up against evil in the media."

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Nate Marquardt faces Cezar Ferreira during UFC Fight Night on Nov. 11, 2017, in Norfolk, Virginia. (Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

"It is not hateful to say that homosexuality, pedophilia, or fornication is disgusting," he added. "It’s not loving to be silent when the culture praises things that lead people to Hell (1Cor 6:9-11). It’s not hateful, but loving to protect children from this world’s evil demented propaganda."

He would later spar with those who dismissed his remarks and was labeled as "homophobic" and a "hateful bigot."

Marquardt was a welterweight champion