Op-Ed: Sean Strickland’s’ Words and Dana White’s Cowardice Have a Chilling Effect and that is No Exaggeration

By: Zachary Draves

In a world where men are starting to increasingly re-evaluate themselves in terms of how they define manhood, UFC fighter Sean Strickland remains stuck in time. A time where men are expected to be patriarchal and domineering, where vulnerability is taboo, and being anything outside the traditional confines (tough, strong, straight, etc.) are forbidden, even within his household. 

During a press conference in Toronto last week before UFC 297, Strickland was asked a question by MMA reporter Alex Lee about past comments he made where he said that if his son identifies a gay, he has “failed as a man”. 

From there, Strickland went on a bizarre tirade where he questioned Lee’s sexuality, asked if Lee had a son who was gay, if he voted for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and concluded by saying that “everything that is wrong with the world is because of f”king you” in reference to Lee. 

How did it go from asking questions to this? It is because Strickland was clearly unable to be taken to task about how he sees the world by conducting himself in a way that conveys a man who is wrestling with insecurity and threatened by the ever changing world around him that conflicts with his. 

His worldview can best be described on the t-shirt he wore at that press conference that said “A woman in every kitchen, a gun in every hand, Sean Strickland 2024”. 

(Courtesy: Credit: AP/Nathan Denette)

For all his toughness, Strickland ended up losing the MMA middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis on Saturday. 

Earlier this week, UFC president Dana White, who is known for his laissez faire approach to speech in his sport, didn’t defend nor condemn Strickland’s comments, but instead claimed that he was baited by Lee.

(Courtesy: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“I say it all the time: We’re in the fight business,” he said during the UFC 297 post fight press conference. “If you get your feelings hurt that bad, you probably shouldn’t ask the type of questions when you know the answer you’re going to get from Strickland. If you ask him – you know who he is, and if you ask him a certain question … he was baited in that question. It is what it is. It’s the fight business.”

He then went on to use “free speech” as a crutch by saying that in UFC “people can say whatever they want and believe whatever they want”. He then added that “we had two gay women who fought in the co-main event. They sat on the stage with Sean Strickland. They could give a sh*t what Sean Strickland says or what his beliefs are or what his opinions are.”

There is plenty to unpack there. Starting with this isn’t about free speech. 

Yes, Strickland has the right to say whatever he wants so long as the government doesn’t squelch on that.

The issue isn’t about his right to speak, it is about the real world consequences of such words and the turn the other cheek mentality to those words that a powerful person as White embraces. 

(Courtesy: Getty Images)

When it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, there has always been a longing for acceptance, especially from family. Familial rejection has contributed to social and mental health problems afflicting LGBTQ+ youth including homelessness, suicide, and depression. 

It is one thing to be discriminated against in employment or bullied at school, that is bad enough, but when a young queer person comes home, a supposed safe haven, and isn’t given support from those whom they share blood with, that can create untold levels of added trauma and despair. 

How can anyone reject their child and deny themselves as parents that special bond?

Sean Strickland is adding to the problem with how chooses to use his platform and White inadvertently adds fuel to the fire by looking the other way. 

So what if two gay women were on the same stage as Strickland? That is great for visibility of gay athletes, but it doesn’t stop the problem of discrimination and the tormenting of LGBTQ+ people by people like Strickland. 

The ability to have differing viewpoints on a wide variety of issues is one thing and is needed in order to have a functioning society. But when it crosses over into deranged demonization and nonsensical diatribes towards a reporter doing his job and to an entire group of people, that is where the buck should stop and ethics and standards should take over. 

There are no two sides to human rights and dignity. Either you are for or against.