00:00A dramatic exit caught on video showing UFC's reigning middleweight champion being seized by
00:06U.S. Marshals and Park Police at the Ellipse Fan Fest during the White House's UFC Freedom 250
00:13event. Who is Sean Strickland and why did he get booted from the White House's premier fighting
00:18event? Here's what you need to know. Rain or shine, thousands of fighting fans were pumped
00:24to celebrate America during the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14th, where cage fighters
00:31duked it out in a stunning display on the White House South Lawn. But one fighter who wasn't
00:37invited to the controversial White House event appeared to cause a commotion at a Fan Fest
00:41event near the White House. Videos posted all across social media showed Sean Strickland,
00:46the UFC middleweight champion, entering a WWE ring on the Ellipse with a beer in hand as
00:52fans swarmed in excitement to see him. But U.S. Park Police and U.S. Marshals quickly rushed
00:58the champ and escorted him off the property. The 35-year-old later posted an image on social
01:03media showing himself being escorted out of the event barefoot by roughly a dozen servicemen
01:08while sporting a big smile. Earlier in June, Strickland posted a video on X alleging he wasn't
01:14cleared by the White House because of his prior statements against the nation of Israel.
01:18The UFC higher-ups called me, you know, the big names. They said, Sean, I gotta apologize. But
01:24you're not Israeli enough to go to UFC 250 Israel edition. The White House sent it clear,
01:32yeah. And I'm not really surprised, you know. I'm not really surprised. So, you know, I think
01:38moving forward, I would like to just apologize to Israel. I'd like to say I'm sorry, you know.
01:44A week prior to the showdown, UFC president Dana White said that Strickland wasn't banned
01:49from the event, but that he was, quote, not invited. In a press conference before the fighting
01:54event, White confirmed Strickland wasn't banned, but still shared choice words about the championship
02:08fighter. But Strickland still found his way in. A day before the event, Strickland claimed on X that
02:19his friend was able to get him a ticket. You guys, good news. My buddy just told me he has
02:24a extra ticket
02:25to the fight. Let's go. Dana, Sean isn't banned. He wasn't invited. Thanks, man. Later, Strickland
02:32claimed on X that a, quote, fan snuck him into the high security event. To the fan that snuck me
02:38in,
02:38you're a f***ing legend and a true America. You did what the UFC wouldn't. After being kicked out,
02:44Strickland posted a slew of videos on his Instagram stories, showing him being transported away from
02:49the event in what appeared to be a high security vehicle. I may have been charged with disorderly
02:54conduct. I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool. Anyways, I just want to thank you fans, man.
02:59I can't thank you guys enough. After being banned, you guys writing, supporting me, it means a lot to me.
03:04According to ESPN, U.S. Park Police said Strickland wasn't arrested or cited for the incident and was
03:10just asked not to return to the area. Strickland has been a controversial figure in the fighting
03:15scene and, according to the Daily Beast, has a history of making bizarre homophobic and often
03:21racist remarks. A previous supporter of President Trump, the outlet said the fighter has since soured
03:27on the commander-in-chief, citing the Epstein files and the U.S. war with Iran. Strickland doesn't have
03:33a fight scheduled currently, but he just came off a shocking defeat of Kamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title.
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