Sean Strickland is a prominent figure in the UFC who is renowned for his unreserved opinions, especially on sensitive social matters. Recently, the reigning middleweight champion shared his perspective on the UFC’s new extensive partnership with Bud Light.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and its well-known brand Bud Light faced significant public scrutiny earlier this year when they collaborated with trans activist and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. This collaboration led to widespread backlash, resulting in substantial financial repercussions for the company.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Strickland initiated a conversation about the new UFC-Bud Light collaboration, seeking opinions from his followers:
“Soooooooo what do you guys think about Bud Light? I just heard…… lol.”
In a subsequent tweet, he responded to a fan’s observation that he would now be expected to align with the company’s stance. Strickland expressed his belief that society should not normalize “mental illness” like transsexuality.
He stated: “Well, good point. Here’s the thing, women are born, not made, transgenders are mentally ill, and society should never accept this as normal. Now Bud Light gives me money.. and I just said that… I’ve been saying it my entire career… so? What do they support?”
Sean Strickland recently dismissed the notion that Khamzat Chimaev deserves a title shot, despite his victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Chimaev was originally slated to face Paulo Costa, but the Brazilian had to withdraw from the match due to medical complications. So Kamaru Usman stepped in as a replacement. The UFC later confirmed their bout as a title eliminator.
While Chimaev secured a majority decision win after three demanding rounds, Strickland remains unconvinced of his entitlement to a title shot.
During an interview with UFC Fight Pass’s Extra Rounds, Strickland acknowledged Chimaev’s ability to draw attention and generate revenue. But he also emphasized that he hadn’t yet proven himself worthy of a title shot yet.
“The only thing I like about Chimaev is that he sells fights… To me, he’s a f****** paycheck. He sells a lot of fights. People pay to watch but he f****** hasn’t earned it. He doesn’t f****** deserve it but here we are… I’ll go f****** fight the man for five rounds… He doesn’t f****** deserve it and getting a decision with a welterweight off the couch does not f****** earning it.”