American UFC Fighter Issues Strong Threat To Canadians After They Booed The U.S. National Anthem

Charles Radtke

Charles Radtke isn’t here to play nice, and he’s certainly not brushing off what happened in Montreal earlier this year.

When Canadian hockey fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the Four Nations Face-Off, the American welterweight took it personally. Now, with UFC 315 set to unfold in the same city this Saturday, Radtke is making it clear: he hasn’t forgotten- and he wants payback.

“I don’t give a s*** about hockey,” Radtke told reporters this week. “That’s not my gig.”

But when a Montreal crowd jeered the US national anthem in February, it hit a nerve. For Radtke, who grew up on a bison ranch with a grandfather who served as a Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps, respect for the flag runs deep.

“Somebody’s going to have to pay for that,” he said firmly.

Radtke Aims To Settle The Score In The Octagon

Ice hockey ring

Radtke, born and raised in Chicago, isn’t pretending to be diplomatic. “I would change 50 flags going up our driveway every year,” he said, referencing his childhood and deep-rooted patriotic values. “So when you all booed the national anthem, yeah, I took that to heart.”

The February incident in Montreal was tense, with US-Canada relations already strained by President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports. As emotions flared, fans in Montreal jeered during the anthem ahead of a U.S.-Canada game, a move that Radtke now ties to his motivation entering Saturday’s bout. He even called out those defending the incident by pointing out that “O Canada” was booed a week later in Boston, adding, “Doesn’t make it right.”

Radtke’s opponent, Canadian fighter Mike Mallott, has refused to take the bait. When asked about the political tension, Mallott stayed focused. “If he wants to build that extra pressure for himself… go for it,” Mallott said. “I’m focused on the task at hand which is a fight in the Octagon.”

Despite the heated rhetoric, it’s the fight that will do the real talking. Radtke enters UFC 315 with a 3-1 record, looking to make a statement not just for himself, but, as he says, for everyone who respects the anthem he grew up honoring.

Whether it’s personal or patriotic, Radtke has drawn a line. This Saturday in Montreal, he plans to make sure Canadian fans hear him loud and clear.