The article mentions that he was telling this to the president of the UFC, so not really since thats sports type fighting, not military stuff like the french foreign legion is. It sounds more like just an attempt to make migrants sound threatening by declaring them to be physically tougher than other people.
I dont think Ive ever even pretended to think they are, for me children, especially babies and toddlers, give me a pretty bad case of the uncanny valley effect and look eerie and cause discomfort, as well as anxiety since Im even less sure than usual what they’re going to do and dont want someone’s kid getting hurt because of something I failed to notice. I dont hold it against them or hate children for it, its not their fault after all, but I do try to avoid being around them where practical.