Former UFC champion Sean Strickland: The NFL is figuring out how to make everything even "gayer," while women are only supposed to cook and clean

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, known for his aggressive behavior and outspoken remarks, turned the media day ahead of the tournament in Houston into a series of homophobic and sexist rants. This was his first official appearance following a six-month suspension: in July 2025, he was suspended for assaulting another fighter while serving as a cornerman.

What Happened

On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Strickland spoke with the press as part of the promotion for his fight against Anthony Hernandez on Paramount+. Instead of discussing the upcoming fight, the fighter focused on criticizing modern culture and sports.

😳 Sean Strickland GOES OFF on “f*ggot” Bad Bunny and the NFL halftime show:

“How do we f**king ruin this sport? How do we make it gay? Why don’t we bring in a gay foreigner who doesn’t speak English? Get the f**k out of here. The NFL is pathetic.”

pic.twitter.com/YJiO7FS6eo

— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) February 18, 2026

Here's what he said at his press conference:

Insults Directed at Bad Bunny and the NFL Strickland harshly criticized Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny’s performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. He used homophobic slurs and claimed that NFL officials are deliberately trying to “ruin” the sport and make it “more gay.” At the same time, Strickland (ввиду своей ограниченности, – прим. Doberman.media) He called the musician a “foreigner,” even though Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and its residents are U.S. citizens.

Attacks on women's sports. The fighter claimed that “nobody cares about women’s sports,” and added that women have “destroyed society” by gaining too many rights. In his opinion, a woman’s place is “in the kitchen and cleaning.”

Comments about Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Speaking about a possible fight between the former MMA stars, Strickland suggested they fight “half-naked.” He also made questionable jokes about Rousey’s past abusive relationships and admitted that he used to masturbate to Karano as a child.

Public Reaction

Strickland's comments sparked an immediate reaction. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III mocked the fighter for his lack of geography knowledge, noting that "It seems some foreigner hit Shona so hard that he forgot that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.". Griffin also called Strickland a “sexist crybaby” and suggested that on the football field, NFL pros "They'd tear him to pieces".

ESPN reporter Jenna Lane emphasized that today's NFL is full of "socially conscious and emotionally intelligent men", who will not tolerate such hatred in their locker rooms.

What could the consequences be for the UFC and Paramount+?

For the UFC and its broadcasting partner Paramount+, Strickland’s behavior poses serious reputational risks. In August 2025, Paramount signed a seven-year contract with the TKO Group (the owner of the UFC) worth 7.7 billion dollars. Now the streaming platform finds itself in a situation where one of the key figures in its sports broadcasting is publicly spreading hate.

Representatives from Paramount+ and the UFC have not yet issued any official comments regarding the fighter’s remarks. This isn’t the first such incident for Strickland: in 2024, he was already involved in a scandal after calling a journalist an “infection” because of his sexual orientation.

Despite the criticism, Strickland remains one of the league's most popular fighters. His appearance at the Super Bowl as a spectator coincided with a viewership record: Bad Bunny's show was watched by about 128 million people, making it one of the most successful in history.