Sean Strickland Claims He's Banned From UFC's White House Event

UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland has long been a supporter of President Trump and is the farthest thing from a Democrat that you'll find among the MMA elite. But as the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn approaches, Strickland is asserting that he's been deemed persona non grata in the nation's capital.

In a series of recent posts on Instagram, Strickland claimed that he's been banned from attending the UFC White House event even as a guest. He blamed the ban on his recent criticisms of the President for his ties to the Israeli government and the late Jeffrey Epstein.

"To be fair they did ban me... but when you make fun of the leaders of America they tend to be a little petty lol by leaders I mean Israel," he wrote.

"The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu)... that's not public opinion its fact," he added later.

Rightly or Wrongly?

Glossing over whether Strickland IS officially banned from the event (we haven't heard UFC or the White House confirm this claim yet), fans had some thoughts on whether it was right or wrong to do so.

Some are arguing that it's just not possible for Strickland to criticize President Trump publicly and then expect to be allowed at the same event as him. Others believe it just shows that Strickland is right and is being deliberately silenced.

"You can't make fun of a guy and then expect to be invited to his house," one user remarked on X.

"So silly, he's a quintessential American, should be invited and headline that specific portion of the America 250 festivities," wrote another.

"Is it really that surprising that someone making fun of the President and saying he is 'owned' by someone, is not welcome at an event at the White House? Would you invite someone over to your house if they said that about you?" a third wrote.

"Holy (expletive) I'm not going to ufc 250 for sure now 🤦‍♂️ White House banning our only American champ is insane."

Strickland is currently in his second run as UFC Middleweight champion, having won the title from Khazmat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May. He is 31-7 overall in UFC with 12 wins by knockout and four by submission.

Strickland also boasts several records in the UFC Middleweight division, the UFC Light Heavyweight division and the UFC as a whole.

But Strickland is also known for running his mouth, which has made him a fan favorite in the UFC and a lot more polarizing outside of it. He's gotten into plenty of trouble for some of the things he's said in the past, but this seems to be the first time that he's feeling the consequences from the President of the United States.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 2:21 PM.