TORONTO | From time to time we come across athletes who are deeply unlikeable and despicable. Sean Strickland is part of this group.
The UFC middleweight champion continued his farce during Wednesday's press day ahead of UFC 297, which takes place on Saturday.
Strickland is known for what some would call his openness. For others, it is a simple lack of class and restraint, wrapped in a web of rudeness and bigotry.
He served us some of all of this in the fifteen minutes he spoke to the media.
F*** Trudeau
Strickland seemed pretty relaxed upon his arrival, but his obnoxious personality came to the fore when a Canadian press colleague asked him a question.
The fighter from deep North Carolina asked the colleague if he voted for Trudeau and started acting like a bully. He was downright disrespectful when another journalist asked him about his positions on the LGBTQ+ community.
“Ten years ago, transsexuality was a mental illness. “You are part of the problem by pushing your agenda,” he told his interlocutor, to the point where a UFC representative sought him out after the press conference to find out if he wanted an apology.
Strickland, who mocked Bud Light for using a trans influencer in ads, hadn't finished his offensive speech.
“There are two genders, I don't want my children to be taught their preferences and I don't want them to be told at school who they can sleep with. I like gay people, I don't care who you sleep with, but don't talk about it to the kids at school, don't force your agenda on us, and don't force your opinion on us.
Now it's the women's turn
Strickland doesn't go easy on women either and did so again on Wednesday by criticizing their presence on UFC cards.
“The NBA and the WNBA, who makes the most money? I don't want to see girls, nobody wants to see that. If the UFC didn't have a mix of girls and men, no one would be watching. When I watch NASCAR, I don’t want to see Honda Civics.”
When he left the stage he felt like he had done well. That's how far he goes.
“I think I’m the healthiest person in this room,” he even said.
Be yourself
Considering that a few years ago, Strickland had difficulty answering a question other than yes or no. The man has changed strangely.
“I come from a very humble background, in the beginning I looked at others and saw that they were excellent. I wanted to escape my past, but wearing a suit made me feel like a whore. I feel much more liberated now that I no longer impose star-worthy behavior on myself.
He also claims that being UFC champion hasn't changed him at all, and we'll take his word for it.
“I’m the same asshole who now wears a gold belt around my waist. My bank account is a little bigger, but not much bigger. I don't bathe in rose petals. The difference is that when I go to Walmart, I get recognized.”