UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Freedom 250 Fan Fest near the White House on Sunday, after defying what he claimed was a ban from the historic event. For weeks, Strickland had publicly insisted he was excluded over his criticism of President Trump, a claim UFC CEO Dana White rejected, saying "nobody is banned" and citing limited seating at the temporary venue.
Strickland showed up in Washington anyway. After being mobbed at a pre-fight press conference on Friday, he walked openly into the Fan Fest on the Ellipse, where tens of thousands had gathered to watch on screens, and briefly stepped into a wrestling ring set up on the grass. The largely pro-Trump crowd jeered, and law enforcement moved in.
Accounts of why differ. The US Park Police said in a statement that Strickland's "unplanned presence" caused "disorder," and that agencies including the US Marshals evacuated him "for his own and public safety." Strickland said he was not arrested but "may have been charged with disorderly conduct," a Class B misdemeanor in DC, joking, "I don't know what that is but it sounds cool."
Sources: HappyPunch, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, HuffPost.
Media: x SStricklandMMA
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Freedom 250 Fan Fest near the White House on Sunday, after defying what he claimed was a ban from the historic event. For weeks, Strickland had publicly insisted he was excluded over his criticism of President Trump, a claim UFC CEO Dana White rejected, saying "nobody is banned" and citing limited seating at the temporary venue.
Strickland showed up in Washington anyway. After being mobbed at a pre-fight press conference on Friday, he walked openly into the Fan Fest on the Ellipse, where tens of thousands had gathered to watch on screens, and briefly stepped into a wrestling ring set up on the grass. The largely pro-Trump crowd jeered, and law enforcement moved in.
Accounts of why differ. The US Park Police said in a statement that Strickland's "unplanned presence" caused "disorder," and that agencies including the US Marshals evacuated him "for his own and public safety." Strickland said he was not arrested but "may have been charged with disorderly conduct," a Class B misdemeanor in DC, joking, "I don't know what that is but it sounds cool."
Sources: HappyPunch, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, HuffPost.
Media: x SStricklandMMA
