On Saturday, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton turned from a formal gala into a crime scene. It was the third attempt on Donald Trump’s life since 2024.
President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were immediately evacuated by the Secret Service. While politicians and journalists hid under tables, UFC CEO Dana White was seated near the head table and refused to get down.
Outside the venue, White told reporters the experience was “f—– awesome” and “unique.” He said he didn’t duck because he wanted to take in the “crazy” scene of security teams swarming the room.
But his juicy comments didn’t sit well with everyone because the shooting could turn into a tragedy. Former UFC fighter Matt Brown, who survived the 2004 mass shooting at a Damageplan concert, called White’s reaction “the weirdest, most oddball thing” to MMA Fighting. He argued there was nothing “awesome” about a near-assassination.
But the loudest response came from the man set to challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title in nine days.
Sean Strickland Fires on His Boss With Respect
At a media scrum on Wednesday, Sean Strickland was asked about his boss’s wild comments. First, he laughed and then absolutely torched the UFC boss.
“Let me tell you, I’m sure Dana White is a sociopath,” Strickland said. “At that level of what he’s accomplished, the kind of shit he deals with, I’m sure he’s a super narcissistic sociopath. So for him, the lizard brain doesn’t kind of compute… which I respect. I respect that.”
He added, “I think Dana White would have loved to watch a m—– get killed… The guy’s probably a f—- sociopath. Or probably a psychopath.”
Strickland’s bold but respectful take comes just before his UFC 328 main event against undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
The 35‑year‑old earned a title shot on Feb. 21 at UFC Fight Night 267 in Houston by beating Anthony Hernandez with a TKO in the third round. This win came after a tough stretch for Strickland.
He briefly held the title in 2023 after defeating Israel Adesanya but lost it to Dricus du Plessis in early 2024. He then lost again in a clear unanimous decision rematch at UFC 312 in Feb. 2025.
Now, heading into fight week, Strickland has again started speaking his mind about everyone, including his boss. However, White has not responded to the remarks.
