It all started with some media leading up to UFC 297. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland didn’t mince words when it came to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
During the event, it became clear that the Toronto, Ontario fanbase was on the same side of the fence as Strickland and began chanting “F*ck Trudeau” throughout the evening.
"Fuck Trudeau" chants #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/4Rm7CJ9RVq
— Ƒʉͫcͧкͭιͪηͣ ʟ𝙞ᵒⓝ (@kalebra07) January 21, 2024
Leading up to the first pay-per-view event of 2024, Strickland was asked by a reporter at media day about his comments towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The UFC middleweight was not too pleased with the way the interaction went down and fired back at the media member.
“You’re a weak f*cking man. You elected Justin Trudeau,” Strickland pointed the finger at the media member. “The fact that you have no f*cking backbone, and as he shut down your country and seized bank accounts, you ask me some stupid sh*t like that. Go f*ck yourself.”
Following the UFC 297 main event, where Dricus du Plessis earned a split decision and the middleweight gold around his waist, UFC President Dana White took media member’s questions. He was also asked by a reporter about how vocal his fighters were and that they are given a “long leash,” which did not sit well with White.
“First of all, I don’t give anybody a leash. A leash? Free speech,” White stated. “To control what people say and to tell people what to believe – I don’t tell any other f*cking human being what to say, what to think and there’s no leashes on any of them… It’s ridiculous to say I give somebody a leash. Free speech, brother. People can say whatever they want and they can believe whatever they want.”
Despite the UFC 297 fight card being what the fans anticipated and the UFC brass wanting, it seems as though some Canadian media members were wanting to push their own agenda.
