Whenever Sean Strickland gets on a mic, you can expect chaos. ‘Tarzan’ appeared at the UFC Houston media day to talk with the press, and many expected his words to stir the pot. Strickland ended up doing exactly that, launching into a controversial rant involving Ronda Rousey and singer Bad Bunny, which has now put Paramount+ under pressure.

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion’s return against Gina Carano on May 16 has grabbed headlines across the sport. With the fight becoming the talk of the MMA world, reporters asked Strickland to share his views on ‘Rowdy’s return, and the ex-185 lbs champ answered in his fashion.

“Ronda Rousey can fight,” Strickland stated at UFC Houston media day. “That b—h can fight… I think she lost a few fights to her ex, but b—h can fight,” he added.

‘Tarzan’ did show much reverence for Rousey’s fighting career. What exactly he implied about her ex could be in reference to her autobiography. According to a report by The Santa Fe New Mexican, ‘Rowdy’ wrote in her autobiographical book My Fight, Your Fight about hitting her ex-boyfriend for allegedly taking intimate photos of her. Rousey later claimed that it was in self-defense.

After speaking about Rousey, the former middleweight champ also said he liked Carano as a teenager because of the actress and MMA fighter being conservative and attractive. However, Strickland then got far more personal with some of his confessions. Yet despite expressing admiration for certain female fighters, his broader comments on women’s participation in sports told a different story.

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“No one gives a f—k about women’s sports.” Strickland added at the Media Day before making more misogynistic remarks. And that was just the beginning.

He also ranted about Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny’s NFL Super Bowl LX halftime appearance, using a homophobic slur. Then? ‘Tarzan’ launched a verbal rampage against the NFL leadership itself. 

“I think they all get together around a table and say, ‘You know what guys, how do we ruin this sport?’” Strickland said at the UFC Houston media day. “’Why don’t we bring in a gay foreigner who doesn’t speak f—g English and have him perform?”

Following the outburst, Strickland is facing heavy backlash. Alongside the former UFC champion, Paramount+ has also come under scrutiny. Media outlet Variety reportedly reached out to the UFC’s broadcasting partner for clarification on the Nevada native’s comments, but has yet to receive a response. 

This is not the first time Strickland has landed in hot water. A similar situation unfolded a few years ago, when Dana White publicly defended him.

Dana White defended Sean Strickland over another controversial statement

During his title reign, Strickland traveled to Canada to face Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 to make his first defence. But before the fight, at that media day, ‘Tarzan’ again clashed with a reporter and made homophobic remarks that drew criticism. Despite the backlash, Strickland stayed firm on his stance and brushed off the criticism. 

The media then directed questions to White, who said he does not control what athletes say, while also suggesting the media knew what kind of response they would get.

“I don’t tell anyone to do anything,” White said at the UFC 297 post-fight press conference. “I don’t try to control any other human beings in any way, shape, or form.

“I say it all the time: We’re in the fight business. If you get your feelings hurt that bad, you probably shouldn’t ask the type of questions when you know the answer you’re going to get from Strickland. If you ask him – you know who he is, and if you ask him a certain question … he was baited in that question. It is what it is. It’s the fight business,” the UFC CEO added.

Strickland clearly had high-profile backing at that time, with White coming to his defense. Now that he has again sparked controversy after returning to competition, the question remains whether the UFC or Paramount+ will respond the same way. Let us know in the comments below.