Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), defended fighter Sean Strickland after the controversy unleashed by his opinion on the LGBT community.
White defended the freedom of athletes to say "whatever they want" during a press conference after the match this Saturday night between Strickland and South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis, which the American won by split decision.
"I don’t give anybody a leash," White said. "I don’t f***ing tell any other human being what to say, what to think," he added. "Free speech, brother. People can say whatever they want, and they can believe whatever they want."
The UFC president also noted that "two gay women who fought in the co-main event, they sat on stage with Sean Strickland. They couldn't give a s*** what Sean Strickland thinks, or what he says, or what his beliefs are."
The controversy began during the week at another press conference in Canada, where the event was held. A journalist asked Strickland about some comments he wrote a few years ago about having a gay son, to which the American fighter responded that the reporter was "weak" and "part of the problem."
He also told him that he was one of those who chose Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he criticized for shutting "down the f***ing country" and seizing bank accounts. He also insisted on his criticism of Bud Light, calling the reporter "an infection" and saying that the world was not believing that there is more than one gender and that children should not be taught about sexual preferences. "This guy [the journalist] is a f****** enemy."
Idk who this guy is and I don't care but you're not a man... But you'd take that as a compliment..... pic.twitter.com/PMR1h4Yp7K
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) January 17, 2024
Hate speech isn't real!
I didn't know I was fighting in north Korea pic.twitter.com/0hpT6pHzug
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) January 18, 2024
During the middleweight championship fight between Strickland and Du Plessis, the crowd could be heard chanting against Trudeau:
🚨 ‘F*ck Trudeau’ chants at #UFC297
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 21, 2024
