It wasn’t shocking that UFC fighter Sean Strickland, yet again, said something deeply homophobic and awful. He is, after all, a deeply homophobic and awful person. This isn’t opinion or hyperbole. This is a fact.
What would you call a person who went on X, formerly Twitter, to spew hatred towards the LGBTQ community? Not once, but at least twice? We won’t get into all of what Strickland recently said because much of it is vile stuff. One part was this: ‘I just look at gays like a form of (intellectual disability) but I fully accept them. Could you imagine if we seen any species on this planet wake up one day and all chose to be gay. We would all think ‘wow there is clearly something wrong with that species.’ Why are humans exempt? Come on.’
Strickland isn’t exactly a mental giant.
The bigotry from Strickland was so bad it caught the attention of former NFL player Carl Nassib, who in 2021 became the first active player in NFL history to come out while on a team. Nassib said on Instagram: ‘This guy is the absolute scum of humanity. Insane the UFC continues to give this guy a paycheck.’
Nassib shared a DM he sent to Strickland before this latest attack:
‘What’s up Sean. I really don’t appreciate all the hate and negativity you have towards the gay community. You’re constantly talking about killing influencers and how much hate you have for people like me. I’ve never watched UFC or seen you compete but I’ve been hearing about you lately and it’s (expletive) up. I’m asking you as a man and fellow competitor to please lay off my community moving forward. You’ll inspire people who are influenced by you to hurt people like me and nobody wants that.’
Nassib makes an important point. This type of hatred is viral and rabid. It can potentially get people hurt or worse. Strickland has a huge platform as a UFC fighter and his words can do damage far beyond his solitary ignorance.
So, no, Strickland’s hate isn’t a surprise. The UFC’s continued inaction when it comes to Strickland is.
The UFC, which didn’t respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY Sports, has been repeatedly small and flaccid when it comes to Strickland. For a league based on fighting, when it comes to confronting LGBTQ hate, the UFC doesn’t seem to have the stomach for it.
Other sports leagues, far from perfect, do seem to understand that there has to be some type of pushback against people like Strickland. For all of its faults, if an NFL player twice said what Strickland did, there’d be massive repercussions. After Michael Sam, in 2014, became the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team, Dolphins defensive back Don Jones tweeted ‘OMG’ and ‘horrible.’ He deleted the post but it was too late. The team fined him an undisclosed amount and suspended him. Jones wasn’t allowed to return until he finished sensitivity training which the team said Jones did and he was reinstated.
‘I want to apologize to Michael Sam for the inappropriate comments that I made last night on social media,’ Jones said in a statement then. ‘I take full responsibility for them, and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment. I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team, and I wish him all the best in his NFL career.
‘I sincerely apologize to (owner) Mr. (Stephen) Ross, my teammates, coaches, staff and fans for these tweets. I am committed to represent the values of the Miami Dolphins organization and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to do so going forward.’
See how that works?
The NBA would also take action. How do I know this? Because they did when Nets guard Cam Thomas last year made an inappropriate comment during a live television interview. He was fined $40,000.
‘I want to apologize for the insensitive word I used in the postgame interview,’ he wrote on X. ‘I was excited about the win and was being playful. I definitely didn’t intend to offend anyone, but realize that I probably did. My apologies again. Much love.’
The previous year the NBA fined Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $40,000 for homophobic remarks he made on social media.
‘What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way,’ Edwards posted. ‘There’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!’
See how that works.
Even the NHL, which has massively bungled LGBTQ issues, penalized a player for anti-gay language. Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 in 2017 for using a homophobic slur.
‘A situation like that, where I’m on the bench by myself, frustration set in,’ Getzlaf said. ‘There was obviously some words said, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was just kind of a comment. I’ve got to be a little bit more responsible for the words I choose. … I understand that it’s my responsibility to not use vulgar language, period, whether it’s a swear word or whatever it is. We’ve got to be a little bit more respectful of the game, and that’s up to me.’
‘Getzlaf’s comment in Thursday’s game, particularly as directed to another individual on the ice, was inappropriately demeaning and disrespectful, and crossed the line into behavior that we deem unacceptable,’ NHL executive Colin Campbell said at the time. ‘The type of language chosen and utilized in this instance will not be tolerated in the National Hockey League.’
See how that works?
Again, all leagues have faults and get things wrong but when it comes to Strickland, for whatever reason, the UFC doesn’t seem interested in responding with the forceful rebuttal to his hate that’s required.
Hopefully, that will come. Hopefully, we’ll see the UFC take a stand. Not sure it will happen.
I’d love to be wrong.