Is he or isn’t he?
That’s the question regarding Sean Strickland at the moment. The newly re-crowned middleweight champion, who dethroned Khamzat Chimaev in the second notable major upset of his career, has claimed to be banned from the UFC’s White House card, a.k.a. UFC Freedom 250, which arrives this Saturday and takes place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
“The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by BB [Benjaimin Netanyahu],” Strickland stated on social media roughly a week ago. “That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.”
UFC CEO and President Dana White claimed otherwise during a media scrum on Tuesday (h/t MMA Fighting).
“Everybody’s banned apparently. Apparently f*cking everybody is banned,” White responded in regards to Strickland’s claims. “Of course, Sean Strickland isn’t [banned]. Sean Strickland is banned from humanity. We don’t want him near any human beings anywhere. F*cking shows up at Power Slap, he starts fights.”
“He made it very clear he didn’t want to be a part of this event and now apparently he’s banned. Nobody is banned. Nobody’s music is banned. No media members have been banned. The list goes on and on.”
It was Strickland’s turn to respond, and respond he did on social media late Tuesday night.
“To Dana saying I wasn’t invited… Ill clarify for this to you. After my fight Hunter said he will (sic) get it done. UFC filmed it and embedded has the footage. I later got a call from the UFC saying ‘I wasn’t cleared by the white house,'” stated Strickland in his latest comments.
It looks like the middleweight champ will not be on hand for UFC Freedom 250 this Saturday, though per Sean Strickland, it’s the White House itself, not the UFC, preventing him from attending.
To Dana saying I wasn't invited… Ill clarify for this to you.
After my fight Hunter said he will get it done. UFC filmed it and embedded has the footage.
I later got a call from the UFC saying "I wasn't cleared by the white house"
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) June 10, 2026
