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Topics: Sean Strickland, UFC, MMA, Fan Reactions
Ryan Smart
UFC fans have called out Sean Strickland after he was filmed using a racial slur on a live stream.
The 34-year-old is a former UFC Middleweight Champion, having defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in 2023.
He lost the title six months later after losing via split decision to Dricus du Plessis.
He took on the South African in a rematch for the title in February of this year, but was again unsuccessful in losing by unanimous decision in Sydney, Australia.
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Strickland has been inactive since then, having been handed a six-month suspension in June for storming the cage and assaulting a fighter at a Tuff-n-Uff event.
His ban will expire on December 31, with the American confirming that he wants to take on Anthony 'Fluffy' Hernandez in his comeback fight in 2026.
But UFC fans have called out Strickland after footage posted online showed the 34-year-old using a racial slur on a live stream hosted by Nina Drama.
He appeared to be reading from a phone shown to him by a third person on stream when he said: "Woah woah, you're so cool for saying n****. Do I look like Bryce Mitchell to you?"
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Immediately beforehand, he had said: "Did you know the first girl I ever dated was a J*w?"
In response to the clip, one fan wrote: "Think if this was a serious sport what the consequences would be and the backlash. OR if it was the early 2010's where you couldn't just drop slurs while in the UFC."
A second wrote: "Generally, not being racist should be an acceptable ask in 2025."
And a third said: "Never seen anything positive from him always some form of hate."
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Strickland called out Hernandez last week ahead of his comeback fight.
"I don't want Izzy [Adesanya], I'm not gonna fight Izzy. It's probably the easier fight for me," he told MMAJunkie.
"I want to fight someone like Fluffy. Fluffy puts me in title contention. Especially with him, because all he does, he's like the American Chimaev. You go, and I just go and outwrestle that f****r for five rounds."