Renowned MMA fighter Sean Strickland has stirred the pot by declaring that he’s been barred from attending the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. He attributes this exclusion to his outspoken remarks about President Donald Trump’s alleged ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Strickland, who holds the title of undisputed middleweight champion in the MMA arena, took to Instagram to voice his frustration. “UFC at the White House with [Netanyahu] in the audience. Straight slop,” he posted, clearly unhappy with the rumored guest list.
Speculation has been rife online suggesting that Netanyahu might join the festivities as Trump marks his 80th birthday on June 14 with a series of cage fights on the White House’s South Lawn. However, amid the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran, Netanyahu’s attendance remains unconfirmed.
Continuing his candid commentary, Strickland admitted, “To be fair, they did ban me. But when you make fun of the leaders of America, they tend to be a little bit petty. By leaders, I mean Israel.” His words seem to reflect a belief that his criticisms struck a nerve.
When confronted with the question of why he would miss the UFC Freedom 250 event, Strickland didn’t mince words: “I made fun of Israel and Epstein,” he stated, underscoring the controversial nature of his comments.
In a parting shot, Strickland claimed, “The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by [Netanyahu]. That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.” His forthrightness continues to ignite conversations across social media and beyond.
Sean Strickland claims he’s been banned from attending UFC Freedom 250 at the White House over his comments about President Donald Trump’s ties to Israel and Jeffrey Epstein
Trump will celebrate his 80th birthday on June 14 with a UFC event at the White House
Strickland made his claims on social media. UFC spokespeople have not responded publicly
Later, in a video posted on X, Strickland claimed UFC staff called him to say the White House did not clear his attendance at UFC Freedom 250.
He then facetiously apologized to Israel and Trump.
‘Moving forward, I would like to just apologize to Israel. I would like to say “I’m sorry,” you know? I’d like to apologize to Trump,’ he said. ‘And I just want to prove that I’m Israeli enough to you guys.
‘For instance, whenever the [Epstein] list disappeared and Trump goes out there and says to everybody that he can’t really go into it because people by association will be prosecuted and their names will be tarnished, I want to apologize, because I don’t want them to be prosecuted.
‘Or when Trump goes and bombs the f*** out of Iran… sorry I’ve been a critic of that,’ he continued. ‘My allegiance was apparently in the wrong place and I just want to apologize.
‘Or when Trump goes out there and [a reporter says] your approval ratings are the lowest its ever been across all demographics and Trump says “you know what, I have a 99-percent approval rating in Israel,” I want to apologize and I want to repent.
‘Apparently I’m not American enough to go to Freedom 250, but I still got my ticket so maybe I’ll just go and bring the [middleweight title] belt and just stand outside the gate and just let them know what we really think about Trump and Israel.
The Daily Mail has sought comment from both UFC and White House spokespeople.
An outspoken conservative and former Trump supporter, Strickland has been at odds with the White House over the release of the Epstein Files , the President’s ties to the late sex trafficker, as well as the belief that Israel pushed the US into attacking Iran.
Strickland is just weeks removed from his split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, so he was never a candidate to participate at UFC Freedom 250, which will be headlined by the Ilia Topuria-Justin Gaethje main event.
But he has been outspoken about UFC Freedom 250 on social media, once predicting that Netanyahu would ‘set the record for the loudest public shaming’ if he attended.
And in a recent online response to conservative provocateur Matt Walsh, Strickland went after Trump directly: ‘Trump went from MAGA to Make Israel great real fast.’
Strickland made news earlier this week when his fixation with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney took a disturbing turn on social media. The middleweight champ posted AI footage of himself bludgeoning someone with Mulvaney’s likeness in a reference to her 2023 Bud Light campaign that sparked a short-lived conservative boycott of the brand.
Strickland is among those who are displeased with Trump’s handling of the Epstein files
Strickland has also accused Trump of being pushed into war with Iran by Netanyahu (left)
Strickland’s recent Instagram post was well received by his followers, several of whom also added antisemitic comments for some reason. However, he got a somewhat different reaction on X, where he wrote: ‘Say what you want about Trump but June has got far less gay.’
X influencer Morgan Moore asked him why he is ‘so obsessed with anything gay.’
Strickland responded by calling homosexuality ‘anti American,’ but was met with many more questions about his fascination with the topic.
He previously attacked trans people by calling them ‘an infection’ and ‘the definition of weakness.’
UFC boss Dana White has criticized Strickland as a ‘nightmare’ to work with, but has continued to book the veteran fighter, who remains one of the more visible talents in the sport.
Just don’t expect to see him at the White House on June 14.
