Sean Strickland Says He’s Banned From White House for Anti-Israel Comments
"The only male American champ banned at the White House..."
Published June 5 2026, 10:02 a.m. ET
One of the UFC’s biggest fighters says he is banned from the White House and will miss the organization's historic event. Sean Strickland claimed he has been banned from attending UFC Freedom 250, the fight card scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House.
The event takes place on Flag Day, President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, and during the larger celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Sean has backed Trump in the past, but now he says his own political comments pushed him off the guest list.
Sean Strickland's comments about Israel got him banned from the White House.
Sean wasted no time explaining why he would not be attending the White House’s massive UFC event. When a fan asked him on Instagram why he was banned, Sean claimed it was because of his comments about Israel.
“I made fun of Israel and Epstein,” Sean said. “The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by [Benjamin Netanyahu]. That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.”
Then he took the sarcasm even further in a video. Sean said UFC “higher-ups” called him and told him, “You’re not Israeli enough” to attend the event. Neither the UFC nor the White House has publicly confirmed Sean’s claim.
“When Trump goes and bombs the f--k out of Iran that no Americans agree with, that cost Americans $5,000 to $15,000 to go fight Israel's war. I want to apologize. Sorry, I've been a critic of that,” Sean added.
What is the UFC White House event?
UFC Freedom 250 is the first UFC event on White House grounds. The card will take place outdoors on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., with the White House as the backdrop. The event will stream live on Paramount+.
The main event features Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title fight. The co-main event has Alex Pereira facing Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title bout, according to ESPN. The announced card also includes Sean O’Malley, Aiemann Zahabi, Derrick Lewis, Josh Hokit, Michael Chandler, Mauricio Ruffy, Bo Nickal, Kyle Daukaus, Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.
Organizers plan to seat about 4,000 to 5,000 invited guests around the octagon. Trump has also said large screens will allow tens of thousands of fans to watch from surrounding areas, including the Ellipse nearby. Tickets are not being sold to the general public in the usual way. According to Forbes, guests are expected to include military members, VIPs, administration officials, members of Congress, foreign dignitaries, UFC guests, and people selected through Trump’s side of the invite list.
The UFC fight is only one piece of Trump’s larger America 250 celebration. The Great American State Fair is scheduled to run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The fair will include state and territory pavilions, exhibits, live performances, interactive experiences and classic fair attractions.