Sean Strickland, the current men's middleweight champion in the UFC, says he has been barred from attending Sunday's fight card at the White House because of his public criticism of Donald Trump, Israel, and Jeffrey Epstein.
Strickland announced on X Tuesday night that the UFC informed him he had not been cleared by the White House to attend the event. The champion said a UFC official had initially told him the situation would be resolved and that the conversation was filmed, but a subsequent call informed him he did not have clearance.
When asked what led to the exclusion, Strickland responded directly: "I made fun of Israel and Epstein." In another post, he escalated his claim, writing that he was "the only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by Benjamin Netanyahu."
Strickland reclaimed his title with a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev in May in Newark, New Jersey, making him the only undisputed men's title holder in the UFC. The California native was once a vocal Trump supporter in combat sports but turned against the president following U.S. strikes on Iran last year.
"I stopped supporting Trump after Israel made him bomb Iran the first time," Strickland wrote, describing a dynamic where he believes Trump defers to Netanyahu on military decisions.
His concerns about U.S. foreign policy appear to align with broader American sentiment. A June poll from the Economist and YouGov found that 68% of Americans want a deal to end the war with Iran as soon as possible. Additionally, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week showed that only 10% of respondents believe the Trump administration has properly delivered justice in cases related to Jeffrey Epstein.
UFC Chief Executive Dana White dismissed Strickland's account during a Tuesday press conference. "Of course, Sean Strickland isn't banned," White said, before pivoting to mock the fighter personally. "Sean Strickland is banned from humanity. We don't want him near any human beings anywhere." White went on to suggest that multiple fighters are claiming exclusion from the event.
The White House and the UFC declined to comment on the matter.
The event, titled UFC Freedom 250, is scheduled for June 14 on the south lawn of the White House. The date coincides with both Flag Day and Trump's 80th birthday. Earlier this week, the watchdog group Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit claiming the administration violated multiple federal laws to accommodate what it called a "deeply corrupt" private commercial sporting event dressed up as patriotic celebration.
Trump's financial disclosures reveal he purchased between $25,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the UFC's parent company, earlier this year. The event is expected to draw 4,300 military personnel, though it has become highly coveted among Washington's power brokers, donors, lobbyists, and members of Congress.
Weather could complicate matters. The National Weather Service is forecasting a chance of showers and thunderstorms in Washington, D.C. on Sunday evening, around the time the main event is scheduled.
Author James Rodriguez: "Strickland's banishment from a state-sponsored fight card raises serious questions about who gets to participate in patriotic displays when the star and the promoter are politically aligned."
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