In a recent interview, Dana White discussed his thoughts on Sean Strickland’s outspoken demeanor and disclosed that he did not agree with the majority of what the former UFC middleweight champion had to say. On the other hand, he maintained Strickland’s right to express himself and affirmed that the promotion would not prevent him from expressing himself.
It is common knowledge that Strickland is known for his straightforward approach of speaking in public, and he frequently expresses his unvarnished ideas on delicate social problems without any reservations. Following his comments made during the pre-fight press conferences for UFC 297, “Tarzan” has sparked a huge commotion within the mixed martial arts (MMA) community on social media. His comments were directed toward the LGBTQ+ community.
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In the aftermath, many people criticized the comments made by Strickland, claiming that they were disrespectful and heartless. Other admirers, on the other hand, defended the 32-year-old’s right to freedom of expression and stood by him in the face of the reaction that he received online.
When asked about Strickland’s tendency to speak his mind, White responded in a recent interview with Vivek Ramaswamy by saying:
This is the United States of America. Each individual is free to hold their own opinion. Because we are all human beings in the United States of America, I am not going to tell anyone what to do, what to say, or how to feel. There were a number of things that Sean Strickland stated. Ninety-five percent of what this person says is not anything I agree with, but it is his right to speak it. On the other hand, if you don’t like it, you should tune in on Saturday night because he is going to be punched in the face. You get to watch him get punched in the face if you don’t like him when he is punched.
Dana White on Sean Strickland losing to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297
The main event of UFC 297 was a battle for the middleweight championship between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ was victorious in the fight by way of a split decision after five rounds of intense competition, so claiming the 185-pound championship.
As a result of the intense competition that took place during the bout, many people believed that Strickland had been cheated and that he deserved to have raised his hand. Dana White was one of the individuals who believed that ‘Tarzan’ needed to be the winner. In spite of this, he acknowledged that it was a very close fight.
The CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) addressed the outcome of the bout between du Plessis and Strickland at the news conference that took place after the fight.
I had the score at 2-2 heading into the last round, and I believed that Strickland would emerge victorious in the final round. On the other hand, the guys who were seated at the same table had the opposite opinion. There was a very close battle… The fifth round is the one in which we will find out who wants it, and I had it even heading into the fifth round. Both of them started going a little bit more intense than usual.
