UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland has appreciated his recent comments on Dana White’s handling of fighter behavior. While praising White’s “hands-off” approach compared to the stricter policies of other sports leagues.
Strickland took aim at fellow fighter Sean O’Malley. He criticized O’Malley’s recent trash talk as shameful and beneath the belt, despite admitting his own controversial nature.
Strickland credits White for different stance than NBA and NFL
In an interview, Strickland complimented Dana White for giving fighters creative freedom rather than censoring speech to satisfy sponsors. He believes the UFC’s mentality differs from the NBA and NFL, which have faced pressure to crack down on player misconduct.
He recently got involved in a brawl with Dricus Du Plessis in the T-Mobile Arena during UFC 296. Dana White laughed it off in a press conference when he was asked about Sean asking a kid to step aside before beating Dricus Du Plessis.
He said, “UFC is more American than football. UFC doesn’t gets the praise it deserves for how much they foster freedom. After being asked if it changes after Dana leaves. He replied,”100 percent, at some point it is going to become another corporate shill like NBA.”
Sean Strickland believes that if he had been in another league, he would have been fined $3.5 million. But, fortunately, he is in the UFC, where freedom is granted, and he is still good.
Sean Strickland slams rivals for disgraceful trash talk
Strickland commends the UFC’s strategy while also criticizing rivals who engage in what he considers shameful trash talk. He emphasized that joking about child molestation is unacceptable, as it can cause immense suffering for the victims and leave them with traumatic memories that instill fear in their lives.
I expect nothing less from O'Malley and Dricus. Next time come at me as a man… Clearly you don't know what that means……
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) December 16, 2023
I just wanna say one thing that I feel needs to be said.. There are a lot of kids out there who have been abused and molested and it's a damn tragic… https://t.co/NHbjcnKlwG
O’Malley made a stupid remark about Strickland and his father. Strickland voiced his dislike for it and went to X to respond, expressing his concern for what O’Mally said, as it was inadequate and harmful for the youngsters who are actually affected by the subject he joked about.
The harsh rebuke from Strickland demonstrates that while he appreciates White’s libertarian philosophy, the middleweight contender still expects some standards of decency to be upheld among the fighters.
