Is charismatic UFC welterweight contender Sean Strickland the last American hero? This weekend he fights terrifying undefeated Chechen killing machine Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC world championship. If he wins, immediately he will rival Conor McGregor as the sport’s most famous face.
Given Strickland’s proclivity for at every opportunity saying the most politically incorrect thing imaginable – he has taken lately to calling Chimaev a “goat fucker” – there are many for whom this will be an outrage, presumably not least Paramount, who recently paid $7.7 billion for the rights to broadcast UFC events.
In his own mind, Strickland is a throwback to a time before liberals monkeyed with prevailing Western cultural values. Naturally, he’s a longstanding fan of President Trump – “he’s the fucking man” – although he has been consistent in his denunciations of America’s war with Iran and support for Israel.
Strickland calls fist fighting “the man dance” and spends his spare time indulging in time honored redneck hobbies like riding motorbikes and firing guns in the desert. He teases people for being gay – even if they’re not – and believes there are only two genders. He’s also professed to being unconvinced allowing women to vote has done much to advance society. Certainly, he’s unafraid to ruffle corporate feathers.
“Fuck Nike,” he said from the stage at an event to promote the Chimaev fight. “If Nike want to come give me a logo as they use little Chinese kids to make shoes. Fuck these major companies. If you don’t want to sponsor me, go fuck yourself. You’re actually the problem with your DEI initiatives. I don’t give a fuck. I don’t need to be a rich man… Keep your money you corporate scumbags.” Bravo.
Predictably, Strickland is not a fan of immigration into America, particularly from Islamic countries. Last week he said: “We live in a world right now where we are being forced to conform to beliefs and ideologies that don’t fit America. Look at these Somali communities that come and defraud the government. We’re being forced to import these third world motherfuckers that really have no right or beliefs to identity as Americans.”
Given his MAGA sensibility, the obvious question is why Strickland has been scheduled to fight this weekend, and not instead to headline the coming UFC event at the White House – an event UFC supremo Dana White claims is being staged in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Interestingly – or suspiciously – the White House event is not being held on July 4, but rather on June 14, which just happens to be… drum roll… the 80th birthday of White’s best friend, one Donald J. Trump. But I digress.
Strickland said he wouldn’t fight at the White House. “I think I’d wanna do the White House… if there was some kind of inclusion for fans… but like, just to go hang out with the Epstein list? I’m good, dog. I’m good.”
White has ludicrously claimed the White House event is not political. “This is the UFC’s gift to the 250th birthday of America,” he said. “This isn’t about politics, this is about the United States, what this country was about, how it was built, where we all came from… It has nothing to do with politics, we just happen to be on the White House lawn and the President of the United States will be there.” Ho ho.
Trump loves cage fighting. Shortly after a ban on the sport that had prevailed for much of the nineties was lifted (Senator John McCain had called it “human cock-fighting”), he allowed two UFC events to be held at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City in 2001. He has also made frequent appearances at UFC events while president.
President Putin is a committed fan, too. He personally rang Khabib Nurmagomedov to congratulate him for giving Conor McGregor such a thorough shellacking in 2018. Memorably, McGregor had called his opponent a “smelly Dagestani rat” throughout the build up. Presumably, Putin felt Slavic honor was restored.
This weekend, there are strong rumors Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov will be in Chimaev’s corner between rounds, helping to towel him down and deliver necessary words of encouragement. This is something Strickland has criticized his opponent for, accusing him of being a “whore” for accepting gifts including a Mercedes G-Wagon from Kadyrov.
Chimaev responded by telling Strickland, who has spoken publicly and movingly about the physical and emotional abuse his father inflicted on him as a child, that “nobody loves you. Only your daddy loves you. He beat you up. I’m going to beat you up, too.” He also managed a well aimed kick into Strickland’s gonads during the pre-fight face-off, before the two men were separated.
All sport is political to a greater or lesser extent, especially when it involves competitors from different nations. Naturally, fighting – particularly the brutal business of cage fighting, with its requirement to establish dominance by inflicting pain – is a proxy for warfare. No wonder then it has for centuries been so beloved by political leaders.
What makes Saturday’s fight so compelling is not just that both fighters conspicuously loathe one another – although don’t rule out the possibility they will hug and profess undying respect when hostilities are ended – or the brilliance of their respective combat skills, but how straightforward and unpolitical each is.
Chimaev, who has done much to support impoverished people in the community in which he grew up, is no political schemer. Far from it. He has repeatedly been open about his lack of interest in titles or anything that isn’t cash. “Smash somebody, take money,” is how he describes his guiding philosophy.
Likewise, Strickland seems completely unable to filter his thoughts, no matter how much they might hinder his personal or professional progress. Last week he publicly described Dana White – his boss – as “a super narcissistic sociopath”. Such honesty in a time of corporate double speak and wokery is both bracing and refreshing.
It promises to be a spectacular fight. Personally, I hope Sean wins, on the basis he might just be the anti-hero we need. Are you not entertained?
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