Is Sean Strickland banned from White House? UFC drama continues

A lot of the drama around the UFC Freedom 250 to be held at the White House Sunday, June 14, has engulfed a fighter who will not be there.

And the uncertainty about why he won’t be at the event.

Sean Strickland, the UFC middleweight champion, repeatedly asserted he’s been banned. He suggested it’s the result of his skewering President Donald Trump for Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein and for Trump joining forces with Israel in the military attack on Iran.

Dana White, UFC’s CEO, addressed the situation this week.

“Of course Sean Strickland isn’t banned,” White told reporters June 9. “Sean Strickland is banned from humanity, OK? We don’t want him near any human beings anywhere. (Expletive) shows up at Power Slap, he starts fights – and he made it very clear he didn’t want to be a part of this event, and now, apparently, (he’s saying) he’s banned.”

Strickland, 35, is arguably the most polarizing fighter in the UFC. In public, he has used racial slurs, homophobic slurs and other offensive language.

Citing free speech, White has never disciplined Strickland. But it appears Strickland was not invited to an event with limited tickets.

“To Dana saying I wasn’t invited… Ill clarify for this to you,” Strickland wrote on social media.

Strickland said he spoke to Hunter Campbell, the UFC’s Chief Business Officer.

“After my fight Hunter said he will get it done,” Strickland wrote. “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.'”

In previous posts, Strickland wrote:

“Alright after further review I understand why I wasnt invited to the white house.. No hard feelings…”

And: “I…got a call from the UFC saying ‘I wasn’t cleared by the white house.’

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFC’s Sean Strickland banned from White House? Drama explained