UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was last seen being escorted out of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, and taking to social media to claim he was looking at a disorderly conduct charge.
Per a report by TMZ, however, it appears Strickland isn’t being slapped with the misdemeanor after all.
Citing U.S. Park Police, who patrol the venue and who were among those escorting Strickland from the area during Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 fan fest, the fighter was removed and told not to return to the area “for his own safety.”
Strickland has been vocal about being “banned” from the White House event, though UFC CEO and President Dana White later insisted that wasn’t the case. Rather, the UFC’s head honcho suggested there was simply no room for Strickland (and many others who no doubt would have loved to be cageside on Sunday for the historic fight card).
Not one to accept defeat, Strickland countered saying it was the White House itself keeping him out. Not out of the realm of possibility, given the two-time UFC champion has become a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, during the card’s official weigh-ins, Strickland crashed the party and was seen kicking a (willing) fan in the leg and hollering that Trump was a “pedophile.” According to the fighter, he had gone to the event incognito, but was ordered by police to remove his face mask, with the results blatantly obvious: fans mobbed him, and Strickland later fled the area on foot.
Good news for Strickland in any case, who defeated Khamzat Chimaev in May to reclaim middleweight gold. A rematch with “Borz” is potentially next up for the American champ.
