UFC champion Sean Strickland escorted out of fan fest near White House
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the UFC Freedom 250 fan festival near the White House on Sunday evening for his own safety and the safety of other attendees, according to U.S. Park Police.
Strickland did not attend the UFC event, held on the White House South Lawn in conjunction with the summerlong celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Instead, the 35-year-old fighter attended a viewing event at the Ellipse and caused a stir among fans when he eventually entered a wrestling ring set up in the area.
“At approximately 7 p.m., U.S. Park Police received a report of a disturbance at the UFC event,” the agency said in a statement emailed to The Times. “Sean Strickland’s unscheduled presence attracted considerable attention from attendees and caused disorder. Due to concerns for Strickland’s safety and the safety of event patrons, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, and other assisting agencies safely evacuated him from the area.”
In videos posted to her Instagram Story during, during and after the incident, Strickland states:may go to jail” And “may have been accused With erratic behavior.”
But Park Police said that wasn’t the case.
“Strickland was neither cited nor arrested in connection with the incident,” the agency said. “However, for his own safety and that of the public, he was advised not to return to the venue. USPP escorted him to his hotel without incident.”
Strickland was once a supporter of President Trump but has become a vocal critic on issues such as the Jeffrey Epstein files and the war with Iran. He still expressed interest in attending UFC Freedom 250, held on Trump’s 80th birthday, but said at X that the UFC told him: “not approved by the white house.”
Dana White, UFC president and chief executive officer, said no one, including Strickland, has been banned from the event.
On Saturday, Strickland shared that he wanted to attend the fan festival at the Ellipse in X.
the next day he posted a video Her Instagram shows her doing just that. Apparently filmed by the MMA star being led through the crowd by another man (Strickland later said on X that a fan “sneaked me in”), the video shows Strickland trying to avoid being recognized until he got to the ring.
But when he got there, he shouted “USA! USA!” It attracted the attention of a large crowd chanting slogans.
Strickland also posted a photo On Instagram, she posted a photo of herself being escorted out of the event barefoot with the caption “AMERICAN NOT ENOUGH.”
