UFC star Sean Strickland, who backed President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, doesn’t appear interested in a fighting event planned to take place at the White House next year.
While discussing the event in a recent livestream with controversial streamer Adin Ross, Strickland brought up an unnamed fighter’s reservations about fighting “in front of billionaires.”
“I was like, that makes sense, bro,” he said. “So I think I’d want to do the White House… if there was some kind of inclusion for like, fans,” he explained.
“So if there was some kind of inclusion for fans, it’d be more — but like, just to go hang out with the fucking Epstein list? I’m good, dog. I’m good, dude.”
The UFC is expected to host its event on the South Lawn on June 14, 2026, as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The event — first teased by Trump over the summer — is set to coincide with Flag Day as well as the president’s 80th birthday.
UFC President and CEO Dana White — in an interview with Fox News in September — revealed that the seating capacity for the event would be around 5,000, citing security concerns. This marks a notable drop from Trump’s initial estimate of up to 25,000 spectators.
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Despite Strickland’s history of supporting Trump, he has criticized the president in recent months, particularly on foreign policy.
In February, Strickland took to X just days after Trump’s proposed that the U.S. to take control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians in a move to redevelop the territory.
“Man if Trump keeps this bs up I’m about to start waving a Palestinian flag..” he wrote in a post. “American cities are shitholes and you wanna go spend billions on this dumpster fire.. Did we make a mistake?! This ain’t America first..”
In July, he claimed that he’d vote for a Democratic candidate over a Republican who is backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, calling it a “line in the sand” for him.
Strickland also called on Trump not to involve America in the Israel-Iran war in June.
However, in a post to X earlier this month, he seemingly backed Trump for an unconstitutional third term.
