Sean Strickland Slammed for 'Disturbing' Reaction to Charlie Kirk's Death

UFC fighter Sean Strickland is facing a backlash over his immediate response to the death of Charlie Kirk.

Conservative political activist Kirk died aged 31 after being shot while debating in front of a crowd at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday.

Kirk, a divisive figure known for expressing controversial opinions, was responding to a question about gun violence when a shot rang out around 12:20 local time.

He was rushed to hospital, but US President Donald Trump later announced on social media that he had tragically died.

Utah police confirmed two suspects were taken into custody after the shooting but were subsequently released, with a manhunt still underway.

There has since been an outpouring of grief and tributes to Kirk in the wake of his death, including from the world of combat sports.

Former UFC champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson was among the first to react after finding out about his death during a live stream, describing the situation as a "sad" moment for the country.

Another UFC fighter, Strickland, was also quick to respond.

However, his reaction has drawn criticism, with some MMA fans on social media labelling it "weird", "disrespectful" and "disturbing".

What did Sean Strickland say about Charlie Kirk?

Strickland posted his immediate reaction to the death of Kirk in a video on Instagram.

"Alright guys... I'm on Twitter and somebody says, 'Hey did you hear that Charlie Kirk got shot?' And my gut reaction was like, 'No I f***ing didn't, but I'm excited'," said Strickland.

Charlie Kirk was killed on Wednesday (Image: Getty)

"Like I felt this little dopamine spike in me where I'm like, 'Dude I wanna see the video.' And then I see in the video, real bad, real bad, but I still kind of excited from it. Like, oh sh**, you know?

"Like I could feel like my muscles tensing. And then I start thinking, man, well what's gonna come from this?"

He added: "'Let's burn this motherf***er down! I need some excitement! And then you start thinking, man, like how the f*** did I become such a sociopath?

"Like how am I so disattached [sic] from human beings. I don't even see people, I just see potential threats... we watch a girl get stabbed, murdered on the subway.

"We're watching little kids get pulled out of buildings because maybe somebody's launched a rocket, we are so desensitised, we're so socialised... it's so sad that we let these people ruin America and it's like taking the soul from us."

Former UFC middleweight champion Strickland later clarified his comments on X, again referring to the recent death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska - who was fatally stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina in August.

Strickland is facing a backlash over his reaction to Kirk's death (Image: Getty)

"I'm just numb to seeing people die online," he posted.

"Just numb to tragedy in 2025. Welcome to the internet. The erosion of humanity one reel at a time."

UFC fans respond to Sean Strickland

UFC fans immediately responded to Strickland's video, with many criticising the fighter for his comments.

"Bro… what are you talking about. Get some help," posted one fan.

Another added: "That's just you Sean. That video was disturbing."

While a third wrote: "Yeah this video [is] getting him released from the UFC, who the f*** says they get excited by hearing someones been shot?"