UFC Champion says he has been barred from the White House event over criticisms of Trump, Israel, and Epstein

The landscape of professional sports and politics is colliding in a massive way this week. Sean Strickland, the current middleweight champion and the only American man holding a title in the UFC, has made a series of claims regarding his absence from the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event. This high-profile card is scheduled for the south lawn of the White House on 14 June, which just so happens to be both Flag Day and the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump.

Strickland has been vocal about why he believes he won’t be in attendance, specifically citing his public criticisms of the President, Israel, and Jeffrey Epstein as the primary reasons for his exclusion. Strickland explained his side of the story, noting that he was initially informed by the UFC that he hadn’t been cleared by the White House to attend, The Guardian reported.

The champion claims that a UFC official had previously told him they would get it done, and that the organization even filmed the interaction for a video channel. According to Strickland, the situation took a turn when he received a follow-up call informing him that the White House had denied his clearance. When a fan later reached out for clarity on the situation, the fighter bluntly replied, “I made fun of Israel and Epstein.”

Strickland’s history with Trump hasn’t been like this forever, though

The fighter didn’t stop there. In another post on X, he doubled down on his perspective. “The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by [Benjamin Netanyahu]. That’s not public opinion, it’s fact,” he wrote. Strickland, who is originally from California, recently secured the middleweight title after a split-decision win over Khamzat Chimaev back in May in Newark, New Jersey. This win cemented his status as the only undisputed men’s title holder in the UFC, with the exception of Burmese champion Joshua Van.

It is worth noting that Strickland was once a very vocal supporter of the President within the combat sports world. However, he publicly soured on the administration following US strikes on Iran last year. He expressed his frustration by writing on X, “I stopped supporting Trump after Israel made him bomb Iran the first time.” He further critiqued the relationship between the two figures, writing, “Trump ‘stop bombing Iran’ Israel ‘Trump we need your bombers’ Trump ‘yes papa BB [Netanyahu] I got you.’”

These sentiments regarding foreign policy and political accountability seem to be shared by a significant portion of the public. A June poll from the Economist/YouGov indicated that 68% of Americans are looking for a deal to end the war with Iran as soon as possible. Additionally, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released today revealed that only 10% of respondents feel the current administration has properly delivered justice in matters connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.

UFC chief executive Dana White has taken a very different stance on the controversy. During a media session, White dismissed the allegations that anyone had been blacklisted from the event. “Of course, Sean Strickland isn’t [banned],” White told reporters. “Sean Strickland is banned from humanity. We don’t want him near any human beings anywhere.” White also addressed the broader claims of people being excluded from the festivities, adding, “Everybody’s banned apparently. Apparently f—ing everybody is banned.”

White further clarified that there is simply a lack of space for everyone who wants to attend. He explained that there are only 4,300 tickets available for the event, which was the brainchild of President Donald Trump. The UFC executive pointed out that there are roughly 1,000 media members at the White House, and it is impossible to accommodate everyone at a single venue on the south lawn. Regarding the specific situation with Strickland, White mentioned that the fighter had previously made it clear he did not want to be a part of the event anyway.

The atmosphere surrounding the event is already quite intense. The watchdog group Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit over the weekend, arguing that the administration violated federal laws to facilitate what they call a “deeply corrupt” commercial event disguised as a patriotic celebration.

Financial disclosures show that the President bought up to $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, earlier this year. With donors, lobbyists, and members of Congress all fighting for seats, the tension is high. Even the weather might play a role, as the National Weather Service is currently tracking a chance of showers and thunderstorms for Sunday evening.

Strickland has long been a polarizing figure, known for making controversial comments about women and various public figures. He has previously stated, “There’s nothing wrong with women. They do great things. They cook, they clean.”

He also faced backlash for attacking Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl, questioning why a “gay foreigner who doesn’t speak f—ing English” was brought in to perform, despite the fact that the artist is from Puerto Rico and speaks fluent English.