UFC Fighter Sean Strickland Blasts Bad Bunny, NFL in Rant

Strickland criticized the NFL's choice of Bad Bunny as Super Bowl halftime performer, accusing the league of trying to 'ruin' the sport.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

UFC middleweight fighter Sean Strickland used a pre-fight press conference to launch a scathing rant against the NFL and their choice of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime performer. Strickland accused the league of intentionally trying to 'ruin' and 'gay up' the sport, criticizing the decision to have a 'gay foreigner who doesn't speak f*cking English' perform at the high-profile event.

Why it matters

Strickland's comments have sparked significant backlash, with many criticizing the fighter's use of homophobic and xenophobic language. The rant highlights the ongoing tensions between traditional sports culture and efforts by leagues like the NFL to become more inclusive and appeal to diverse audiences.

The details

During the press conference, Strickland unleashed a prolonged tirade against the NFL and Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican reggaeton star who performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. Strickland used multiple slurs and accused the league of intentionally trying to 'ruin' and 'gay up' the sport by bringing in a 'gay foreigner who doesn't speak f*cking English' to perform.

  • Strickland's comments came during a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday, February 19, 2026, ahead of his UFC 267 bout against Anthony Hernandez on Saturday, February 22, 2026.

The players

Sean Strickland

A UFC middleweight fighter who is scheduled to compete in the main event of UFC 267 on February 22, 2026.

Bad Bunny

A Puerto Rican reggaeton artist who performed at the Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026.

Anthony Hernandez

Strickland's opponent in the UFC 267 main event on February 22, 2026.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Look at the NFL, dude. I don't even want to say the f*ggot's name because it's just like, what – somebody give me his name? Come say his name, I don't want to say it. You know what I'm talking about, the halftime show guy. The Puerto Rican, right? Puerto Rican?”

— Sean Strickland, UFC Middleweight Fighter (Breitbart)

“It's so crazy that this is America now. Like, back in the day, dude, the NFL was the f*cking standard of being a f*cking man, and now every f*cking year, the NFL, I think they all get together around a table and say, 'You know what, guys? How do we f*cking ruin this sport? How do we gay it up? How do we f*cking ruin it? Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't we bring a gay foreigner who doesn't speak f*cking English and have him perform it?'”

— Sean Strickland, UFC Middleweight Fighter (Breitbart)

What’s next

The fight between Strickland and Hernandez is scheduled to take place at UFC 267 on February 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

The takeaway

Strickland's comments have drawn significant backlash for their use of homophobic and xenophobic language, highlighting the ongoing tensions between traditional sports culture and efforts by leagues like the NFL to become more inclusive and appeal to diverse audiences.