Keith Lee is nowadays a well-known TikTok food critic and former MMA star. He recently responded to allegations made by controversial UFC star Sean Strickland.
Last week, Strickland recounted an encounter with Lee at the gym, claiming that Lee initiated a debate on racial issues and accused him of being a racist.
Strickland stated, “He comes up to me and tried to talk to me about race, he tried to have this racial systematic oppression s—…like I don’t disagree…but I’m not trying to have this debate in the gym, I’m trying to spar.”
“He starts accusing me of being f—- racist, and I’m like, what are we f—– doing here dude? If I was racist, I’m the most honest mfer there.”
Strickland then admitted that he purposely made outlandish comments to provoke Lee, including boasting about his romantic experiences with black women. In response, Lee allegedly said, “I don’t like white people!”
However, on Monday night, Lee took to TikTok to set the record straight, asserting that Strickland’s accusations were false.
“I received a week straight of false allegations, negative comments, and negative backlash for something that I didn’t do.”
According to Lee, he approached Strickland and some friends who were already discussing race after practice. He joined the conversation, but contrary to Strickland’s account, Lee maintains that he never expressed any dislike for anyone. Instead, he disagreed with Strickland’s comments and chose not to entertain the conversation further.
“At no point did I say I didn’t like anybody. I simply disagreed with what he said, and instead of fighting ignorance with ignorance, I said no, I’m happily married with children and I’m very proud of the family that God has allowed me to build. I immediately disagreed with all the ignorant and distasteful comments that he made, and I was no longer interested in entertaining the conversation.”
Lee emphasizes that he holds no grudges against Strickland and merely wants to clear up any misunderstandings.
Following Lee’s video, Sean Strickland responded to the situation, though his response was not disclosed in the current text.
It’s essential to recognize that misunderstandings and misinterpretations can arise during discussions on sensitive topics like race. Both Keith Lee and Sean Strickland deserve to be heard, and it’s vital to approach such matters with empathy and open-mindedness.
As this situation unfolds, the MMA community hopes for an amicable resolution and encourages respectful dialogue among its members.