UFC champion Strickland says he's barred from White House

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland says he has been barred from attending the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, claiming his exclusion is a direct result of his public criticism of President Donald Trump and his remarks concerning Israel. The event is scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn.

Strickland, the only current male American champion in the promotion, stated in social media posts that his request for a ticket was denied. He attributed the decision to his past comments, specifically citing his criticism of Trump's association with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and remarks about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. In one post, he wrote that he is "the only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by Netanyahu."

The fighter has been an outspoken figure on political issues. He previously supported Trump but has publicly broken with him over U.S. foreign policy regarding Israel and Iran, and over the release of documents related to Epstein. Following his championship victory over Khamzat Chimaev in May, a post-fight remark he made about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was censored during the...