Yes, That Was a Former Vikings Player Ejected From a UFL Game for Throwing a Punch

Somewhere, Mike Zimmer might be having himself a good chuckle as he reads this.

NFL Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Cam Dantzler, the former Minnesota Vikings cornerback, was kicked out of a United Football League game on Sunday for throwing a haymaker during a wild scuffle between the Louisville Kings and the Columbus Aviators.

What happened? Dantzler wound up and delivered a big right-handed punch to the helmet of Columbus running back John Lovett. It happened after Columbus took a 14-10 lead on a 16-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Chandler Rogers.

CHAOS IN COLUMBUS 🫣💥 pic.twitter.com/Kslo42CPs5

— UFLonFOX (@UFLonFOX) May 31, 2026

"I apologize for what I did but I don’t apologize for standing up for my brother. I could’ve been a professional and handled it a different way, so [Kings Nation] I am truly sorry!!" Dantzler posted on social media after the game.

Louisville wound up winning the game to finish the regular season 6-4. The question going forward is if Dantzler will be suspended for the Kings' playoff game next Sunday against the St. Louis Battlehawks.

Dantzler was Minnesota's third-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2020. He played a lot as a rookie, but after suffering a quad injury ahead of his second season, the Vikings signed veteran Bashaud Breeland, and Dantzler's opportunities slipped away. He started 10 games as a rookie, seven in his second season, and he lost his starting job to Duke Shelley after nine games in 2022.

His third year was supposed to be his opportunity to hit the reset button under then-first-year head coach Kevin O'Connell. However, his coverage grade from Pro Football Focus dropped from 69.8 in 2020 to 67.6 in 2021 and 64.7 in 2022. The Vikings ended up waiving him on March 10, 2023.

In the middle of the 2022 season, Tyler Dunne released a story in which he talked to Dantzler about playing under former head coach Mike Zimmer, and Dantzler famously claimed that Zimmer told him, "I don't talk to guys who are hurt."

Dantzler was on the New Orleans Saints' roster in 2023 and on the Miami Dolphins' roster in 2024 and 2025. He played a total of 11 snaps in 2023 and never saw the field during a regular-season game for the Dolphins.

He's now in his second season in the UFL. He played for the Memphis Showboats in 2025. He's intercepted two passes in two seasons, including a 43-yard pick-six last season with the Showboats. This season, he's been credited with one interception, 32 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and seven pass breakups.