During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast ahead of the UFC White House card, Sean O’Malley weighed in on the controversy surrounding Sean Strickland reportedly being banned from attending the event after criticizing Israel and making comments about Epstein.
O’Malley, who said he had largely stepped away from social media since December 2024, admitted he had not followed the exchange closely. Still, he offered his thoughts on Strickland’s reputation and the unique position he occupies within the UFC.
“Sean Strickland’s such a… he’s the world champion of the UFC, so the UFC’s got to, you know, love him,” O’Malley said.
At the same time, he joked that Strickland’s unpredictability likely creates headaches behind the scenes.
“But they also are probably like, every time that guy goes on a stre am or social media, they’re probably just like, ‘Oh, f**k,'” he added.
O’Malley acknowledged that Strickland has built a brand around being unapologetically himself and suggested there is little anyone can do to change that.
“He’s doing his thing. He’s who he is,” O’Malley said. “You either love him or dislike him, but you’re probably going to watch him compete. He’s gotten to the point to where he’s kind of a star.”
One of the podcast hosts pointed out what he saw as a contradiction in the situation, noting that the UFC has long presented itself as supportive of free speech among its athletes.
“The UFC is so publicly free speech and Dana says he doesn’t tell athletes what to say,” the host said. “So this is the one guy that kind of messes them with that, where it’s like, we can’t tell him to shut up.”
O’Malley agreed that Strickland’s status as an independent contractor complicates things, though he also suggested some of Strickland’s comments may be crossing lines the promotion would rather avoid.
“We’re independent contractors, but at the end of the day, we’re working for the UFC and it’s probably not smart of him to talk about the UFC and their events and stuff,” O’Malley said.
He then pointed out the difficulty of disciplining someone who simply does not seem to care about the consequences.
“But also, Sean Strickland doesn’t give a f**k, so it’s kind of hard to punish them,” he added.
O’Malley also referenced what he sees as a recurring pattern throughout Strickland’s UFC career, where controversial remarks have never ultimately prevented him from climbing the ladder.
“Sean’s the world champion. He’s been talking s**t and he got a title shot,” O’Malley said.
He then used an unusual analogy to describe Strickland’s personality.
“You know those guys that like do their own oil changes just to let you know that they do it on their cars? You can’t do that. He’s just that guy.”
