MMA fans have come to expect sparks whenever Sean Strickland grabs a microphone, and that reputation held true once again ahead of his clash with Anthony Hernandez in Houston, where his latest comments likely left executives at Paramount+ wincing. The former middleweight champion delivered another headline-making rant, this time taking aim at the newly announced featherweight bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, as well as the increasing spotlight on women’s combat sports under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions ahead of the May 16 event.
Sean Strickland Ignites Firestorm With Broadside at Women’s MMA, Bad Bunny, and the NFL
While much of the MMA world is buzzing about Rousey and Carano coming out of retirement for a long-awaited dream fight, Sean Strickland has made it clear he is firmly on the other side of the debate. Asked about the matchup, Strickland dismissed the idea outright, calling it misguided.
During an interview, he said, “It’s fu****g retarded. Ronda Rousey’s gonna steamroll her. Ronda was an Olympian that was a multi-time world champion. Gina Carano was pretty in a time when women’s MMA sucked. It’s still not very good, but when Gina Carano was fighting, it was significantly worse.”
Sean Strickland has NO interest in Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Netflix:
“Ronda’s gonna steamroll her. We’re just gonna watch two middle-aged women going through menopause fight each other. Who gives a [expletive].” 😳#RouseyCarano #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/IaadzVnqG8
— Fernando Quiles Jr. (@FQJMMA) February 17, 2026
ALSO READ: Ronda Rousey Reveals Dana White Opted Not to Move Forward With Gina Carano Superfight
He continued to criticize the bout, adding, “We’re just gonna watch two middle-aged women, fu****g going through menopause, fight each other. I have no interest in that. Who gives a f**k?”
Strickland’s remarks escalated further at the UFC Houston media day, where he also made a sensitive comment referencing Rousey’s abusive ex-partner. The former middleweight champion went on to claim that “no one gives a f**k about women’s sports.”
He added, “There’s nothing wrong with women. They do great things. They cook, they clean.” Strickland would go on to say that even the weakest man in the room could beat former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes.
He also added that women shouldn’t be fighting, and they should instead be doing what they excel at, which to him is “having kids, being mothers, making food, cleaning the house.”
Sean Strickland says ‘no one gives a f**k’ about women’s MMA and thinks the average man could beat up Amanda Nunes 😬
“We gotta remember what women excel at – having kids, being mothers, making food, cleaning the house. Problem is we’ve empowered them too much to ruin society.… pic.twitter.com/4bxYZylN2Q
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 18, 2026
After turning his attention away from women’s MMA, Strickland also took aim at Bad Bunny, arguing that the National Football League had once served as a benchmark for traditional masculinity.
Clips of his comments quickly went viral, drawing reactions far beyond the MMA sphere, including criticism from figures such as Robert Griffin III and O’Shea Jackson Jr., and once again sparking debate about the UFC’s handling of controversial rhetoric.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.