For all the controversy and mischief he caused, Sean Strickland has shown a strong sense of patriotism toward America. Despite not participating in the event, the UFC middleweight champion has drawn significant attention in the buildup to the UFC Freedom 250 event, where he said that he had been banned from the White House card, a claim Dana White and his team rejected. Even so, the two-time champion made it a point to visit Washington, D.C. just around the time the event entered its final stages.

That visit quickly generated attention after Sean Strickland found himself swarmed by fans until police reportedly stepped in to escort him out. Amid his antics and the chaos he caused, the two-time champion experienced a somber moment when a Marine approached him with a request.

“I’m walking, and this Marine comes up to me and says, ‘You should go see my brothers at Arlington Cemetery,'” Strickland wrote on X. “I had to walk away. It was hard not to cry hearing him say that… It’s been 2 hours, and I’m still thinking about it… I will, man. 🙏🇺🇸”

That interaction is likely tied to the broader group of service members attending the event, with roughly 85,000 personnel expected alongside the public as part of the pre-event festivities. To accommodate them, event organizers have set up large viewing screens at the Ellipse, where pre-registered individuals can watch the historic UFC card for free.

While the White House has been framed as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, it has still drawn political discussion, especially given its timing on President Trump’s 80th birthday. Organizers have also maintained that the focus remains on honoring the armed forces, with the date also coinciding with US Army Day on June 14.

To recognize military personnel, approximately 1200 active-duty personnel across all branches have been invited to attend the event, which can accommodate only 4300 invite-only guests.

Returning to his usual behavior that has made him a major attraction in the combat sports world, Strickland also raised concerns about how difficult fans could be to manage without proper security.

“The issue (is) if I go without security, UFC fans are fucking savages… Do I want to party with you f**kheads and watch some fights and fight you guys? Yes… Let me see if I can get some people to help with security.”

Those concerns appear to stem from how his gate crash at the White House card press conference unfolded. Despite claiming that he had not been cleared by the White House to attend the event, Strickland still showed up wearing a hoodie. Trouble followed after the police instructed him to remove it so his face remained visible.

While he initially protested, saying he is a UFC champion, the police insisted he remove the hoodie. As a result, the crowd soon recognized Strickland and swarmed him. The middleweight champion later revealed it took a group of police officers to escort him out before things escalated further.

Still playing to the crowd, he even engaged with fans in playful exchanges, as video footage showed him trading shots and later throwing a leg kick at an attendee who squared up to him.

Absent from action, present in controversy: Sean Strickland and the White House card

In that context, it is difficult to argue that Sean Strickland has not drawn attention to himself despite not competing on the card. Even with a stacked lineup featuring the likes of Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira, Sean O’Malley, and many others, Strickland has continued to dominate headlines.

The biggest controversy stemmed from his claim that the UFC had banned him due to his politically charged comments on social media, a situation that soon escalated into a back-and-forth exchange.

Dismissing Strickland’s allegations, Dana White stated, “Of course Sean Strickland isn’t banned [from the event]. Sean Strickland is banned from humanity. We don’t want him near any human beings anywhere.”

But the middleweight champion later countered that claim, suggesting he had received a call from the UFC telling him that he “wasn’t cleared by the White House.”

With just hours remaining before one of the most significant cards in UFC’s recent history, Sean Strickland is not expected to appear at the event on the White House South Lawn. However, his actions and presence during the lead-up have already ensured he remains one of the most talked-about figures surrounding the event.