Sean Strickland, as usual, ruffled some feathers during his fight week in the lead-up to UFC Fight Night 267.
Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC), a former UFC middleweight champion, has long made headlines for his bigoted and controversial comments on minorities and the LGBTQ community. This past week, ahead of his main event bout against top contender Anthony Hernandez (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Houston, Strickland was again in the midst of controversy for calling Bad Bunny a homophobic slur, among other things, during his media day interview.
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Neither the UFC nor CBS/Paramount, the UFC’s broadcasting partner, had any public comments on the matter. However, after Strickland’s TKO win, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about the situation. White wasn’t thrilled with Strickland, but blamed the media for baiting him into his bigoted rants.
“It’s a nightmare, but you guys don’t help – asking him dumb sh*t,” White said at the UFC Fight Night 267 post-fight press conference. “Ask dumb sh*t, you’re gonna get dumb sh*t. ‘What’d you think of Bad Bunny? What’d you think of the Super Bowl?’ Get the f*ck outta here. You f*cking kidding me?” So, when you talk about what Strickland says, you guys like to push the buttons.”
Strickland was never asked about Bad Bunny or the Super Bowl during his media day session; he offered those comments on his own.
Strickland’s inflammatory comments do extend beyond UFC media days and interviews with reporters. His social media posts display similar vulgar and insensitive themes. In the lead up to UFC Fight Night 267, Strickland posted an edited poster of his matchup of him wearing an ICE uniform, and Hernandez, who’s American of Mexican descent, with a poncho and mariachi hat.
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As far as Strickland’s handiwork in the cage, White was impressed with what he saw. He didn’t have any insight into what could be next for the former champion, who called for a title shot against champion Khamzat Chimaev.
“He was in great shape,” White said. “He looked good. He was sharp and got the job done.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC’s Dana White blames media for Sean Strickland’s bigoted rhetoric
