
Sean
Strickland claims he isn’t upset about not being invited to the
UFC Freedom 250 card.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s June 14 event at the White
House has been the talk of the sport for months, with countless
fighters jockeying for the chance to fight on the card, then once
the lineup was finalized, for a spot in the very limited on-site
seating. According to rumor, UFC middleweight champ Strickland
(31-7), who is well known for voicing his unfiltered opinions,
recent rumors suggested that the reigning middleweight champion has
been barred from the event, potentially due to incendiary remarks
he made last week about Israel and its longtime leader, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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However, UFC CEO Dana White dismissed the rumors, acknowledging
Strickland’s penchant for controversy but maintaining that nobody
had been banned and that attendance was constrained by space and
seating. White also pointed out that Strickland had already voiced
his contempt for the event and disinterest in attending.
“Sean
Strickland is banned from humanity,” White quipped. “We don’t
want him near any human beings, anywhere… He made it very clear
that he didn’t want to be a part of this event. Now, apparently,
he’s banned. Nobody’s banned. Nobody’s music is banned, no media
members have been banned… This is obviously a very unique event,
where there’s only so much room… there’s only 4300 tickets.”
DanaWhite fires back at rumors👀Says
SeanStrickland is ‘banned from humanity,’ but denies any real bans
involving Strickland, DiegoLopes’ walkout music, or the media.
pic.twitter.com/3cHCJ37z9u— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita)
June 9, 2026
For his part, Strickland claims he is not bothered about not being
invited to the White House card. Strickland has been severely
criticizing America’s involvement in the ongoing conflict between
Israel and Palestine. Strickland says he, too, would have banned
himself from the White House card:
“I’m not even salty they didn’t clear me. Could you picture me
sitting with Kash Patel? F*ck man, I’d ban me from the White House
too.”
Strickland also further claimed that Hunter Campbell had told him
that he would arrange an invitation for him to the White House
card. However, the UFC allegedly told him later that he was not
“cleared.” Strickland wrote on X:
To Dana saying I wasn’t invited… Ill
clarify for this to you.After my fight Hunter said he will get it done. UFC filmed it and
embedded has the footage.I later got a call from the UFC saying „I wasn’t cleared by the
white house“— Sean
Strickland (@SStricklandMMA)
June 10, 2026
“To Dana saying I wasn’t invited… Ill clarify for this to you.
After my fight Hunter [Campbell] said he will get it done. UFC
filmed it and embedded has the footage. I later got a call from the
UFC saying „I wasn’t cleared by the white house“”
SeanStrickland says he’s not mad that the
UFC didn’t invite him to the White House event“I’m not even salty they didn’t clear me. Could you picture me
sitting with Kash Patel?F*ck man, I’d ban me from the White House too.” 😭 https://t.co/RcIPO9Nvqb pic.twitter.com/cvCKJLHO2x
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
June 10, 2026