The UFC is facing pressure to cut Sean Strickland after the former champion used homophobic slurs when reacting to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance.
Earlier this month, popular Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny made headlines as he performed the half time show during the Super Bowl clash between the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots.
More than 125 million people tuned in to the performance, with many of them praising Bad Bunny - real name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio - while some, including President Donald Trump, lashed out at the performance.
Since the performance, others have given their opinions on Bad Bunny's half-time show, with UFC fighter Strickland offering his take ahead of his upcoming fight on Saturday night.
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As is often the case with Strickland, his view included various controversial comments that has caused outrage online, with many fans calling for the UFC to cut him from the organisation.
Throughout his UFC career, Strickland has been massively outspoken about his controversial views, often playing into them for comedic effect on social media.
But it appears he may have finally taken things too far as he used homophobic slurs to describe Bad Bunny while refusing to acknowledge his name.
Speaking ahead of his fight with Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez, Strickland said: “I don’t even want to say that f****t’s name. Because like it’s just like; somebody give me his name. Say his name, I don’t want to say it. You know who I’m talking about.
"The half time show guy, the Puerto Rican, right? Puerto Rican?….. Bro, yeah, that f***ing f****t. Like it’s so crazy that this is America now. Like back in the day, dude, the NFL was like the f***ing standard of being a f***ing man.
"Now every f***ing year, the NFL, I think they all get together around a table, say ‘you know what guys, how do we f**king ruin this sport? How do we gay it up? How do we f***ing ruin it?
"Well I’ll tell you what, why not bring in a gay foreigner who doesn’t speak f***ing English and then to have him perform it? Like get the f**k out of here. It's like the NFL is pathetic these days.
"Even like the NFL players f****ing probably hate it. Yeah, no, the NFL is gay. I think we can all agree NFL got real gay lately.”
Not only are the former UFC middleweight champion's comments disgustingly offensive, labelling Ocasio as a 'foreigner' is factually incorrect as Puerto Rico is a part of the United States.
Earlier in the press conference Strickland also criticised the recent announcement that UFC legends Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano would be fighting each other on a Most Valuable Promotions MMA card.
He claimed that women have been empowered “too much” to the point where they’ve “ruined society" and suggested they should fight “half naked.”
Following the comments, many UFC fans took to social media to call on the UFC to cut the American fighter, particularly given the recent major broadcasting deal with Paramount+.
Posting on X, one fan wrote: "Absolute sexist sack of s**. With a loss this weekend, it's time to cut Sean Strickland:
While one added: "So help me understand how the UFC can continue to employ Sean Strickland after his last presser, openly bashing gay people, women, and people from foreign nations? Not a good look at all. I mean the guy was always a terrible person.
"I know Paramount can’t be happy."
And another claimed: "Very much looking forward to a time in the UFC’s near future where Sean Strickland is not on the roster and no longer relevant."
Topics: UFC, Sean Strickland, MMA, Super Bowl
Ben McCrum