“Free speech, brother. People can say whatever they want!” Dana White FLAMES reporter grilling him about homophobic rant of Sean Strickland

Dana White emphasizes free speech in response to questions about Sean Strickland's press conference incident, advocating for open expression in the UFC.

“Free speech, brother. People can say whatever they want!” Dana White FLAMES reporter grilling him about homophobic rant of Sean Strickland

Dana White flames Reporter at press conference and defended Sean Strickland (Image via: IMAGO)

Sean Strickland caused an uproar at the pre-fight press conference of UFC 297. He had a heated exchange with a reporter as the reporter baited him to an LGBTQ question. UFC CEO Dana White was not a fan of the reporter’s question. White talked about it at the post-fight press conference.

At the post-fight press conference, a Canadian asked about the Strickland incident. The reporter used the term ‘You give a long leash,’ and White did not like it one bit. This is what White said in reply.

I don't give anybody a leash. Free speech, control what people say, going to tell people what to believe, going to tell people... I don't tell any other human being what to say, what to think, and there's no leashes on any of them. Free speech, brother. People can say whatever they want, and people can believe whatever they want.
Dana White via UFC 297 post-fight press conference
YouTube video

Dana White cited an example that reporters should not ask questions unrelated to MMA. He stated that Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva, who were lesbians and fought in the co-main event, did not have any problem with Strickland. Therefore, he asked reporters to refrain from baiting Sean Strickland.

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White blamed the reporter who asked Strickland the question in the first place. Strickland has conservative views and has often made misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic remarks. Nonetheless, Strickland has a huge following in the United States. Moreover, he also has fans outside the US. Even the Canadian fans rallied behind Strickland. Furthermore, he enjoyed fan support in Australia when he fought Israel Adesanya.

Dana White against an immediate rematch between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis

UFC CEO Dana White had the scorecard of 3 rounds to 2 for Sean Strickland over Dricus Du Plessis. Many in the MMA community agreed with White’s assessment. Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub also thought Strickland won the fight.

Dricus Du Plessis dethrones Sean Strickland in UFC 297 to become the UFC middleweight champion.
Dricus Du Plessis dethrones Sean Strickland in UFC 297 to become the UFC middleweight champion. (via X-UFC)

Nonetheless, Dana White stated he did not want an immediate rematch. However, he remarked that Du Plessis and Strickland would have a rematch in the future regardless. Du Plessis called out Israel Adesanya after the victory. A reporter asked whether Du Plessis and Adesanya could headline UFC 300. However, White did not provide an answer but promised to announce the main event for UFC 300.

Khamzat Chimaev is also a potential opponent for Du Plessis. Chimaev tweeted his interest in fighting after the Du Plessis’ victory. Jared Cannonier is also a potential opponent. However, the rivalry and backstory between Du Plessis and Adesanya make it too compelling for the UFC to make the fight.

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