Strickland’s latest comments started outrage before big fight.

Sean Strickland is now getting hate after an angry speech at a press conference earlier this week. The 34-year-old went off topic while promoting his upcoming fight and made comments about the NFL and singer Bad Bunny.

Strickland refused to say the rapper’s name at first. He called out to reporters and said, “Look at the NFL, dude. I don’t even want to say the f****t’s name because it’s just like, what, somebody give me his name.” He added, “Come say his name, I don’t want to say it. You know what I’m talking about, the halftime show guy. The Puerto Rican, right? Puerto Rican.”

After someone said Bad Bunny’s name, Strickland continued his rant. “Yeah, that f***ing f****t. It’s so crazy that this is America now,” he said. He then criticized the league and said, “Like, back in the day dude, the NFL was the f***ing standard of being a f***ing man.” He accused the league of trying to “ruin” the sport with its halftime choices.

Bad Bunny performed during the Super Bowl halftime show in Santa Clara earlier this month. Strickland used the moment to question the direction of the NFL and mocked the idea of featuring what he called a “gay foreigner.”

NFL Figures Respond

Robert Griffin III (Photo By Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III responded to this on social media. He shared a clip of Strickland getting hit in a fight and wrote, “Sean Strickland got hit so hard by a foreigner that he forgot Puerto Ricans are US citizens.” He added, “Not to mention that this misogynistic cry baby would get tossed like salad if he ever stepped foot on a football field in the NFL. Worry about not getting knocked out in your next fight.”

ESPN NFL reporter Jenna Laine also criticized Strickland. She posted the clip and wrote, “You know what’s really cool about the NFL now? That it’s full of a lot of thoughtful, socially-conscious and emotionally intelligent men who may come from different backgrounds and may not agree on everything, but wouldn’t stand for this kind of hatred in their locker rooms.”

Strickland has received enough hate before. In 2021, he tweeted that he would feel he had “failed as a man” if he had a gay son. Also in 2022, he posted a video of himself showering with an AK-47 and called it “the most f***ing American thing you can do.” Then again, in January 2024, he criticized women’s MMA and questioned its popularity.

Strickland will headline Saturday night’s fight card in Texas against Anthony Hernandez. Because of his recent comments, the fight is getting even more attention.