Sean Strickland is no stranger to controversy, and his comments about UFC legend Ronda Rousey are no exception. During an appearance on Brendan Schaub’s “Food Truck Diaries” on October 12, 2022, Strickland unleashed a scathing critique of Rousey’s reaction to her loss against Holly Holm at UFC 193.
Rousey, who was the face of women’s MMA and enjoyed an unbeaten streak until Holm’s head-kick knockout, openly discussed her mental health struggles following the defeat. She revealed on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she had suicidal thoughts in the aftermath of her career-changing loss. This admission did not sit well with Sean Strickland.
“Let me tell you why I hate Ronda Rousey,” Strickland began. “Ronda Rousey goes on Ellen DeGeneres, who is a known ct, by the way. Just, that should seem clear. And she says after her loss she thought about committing suicide, and after that I was like, ‘You are the weakest fing human being I have ever met or I have ever heard speak.’ And after that I hated her. Like, mental f**ing midget”.
Sean Strickland Opens up on Ronda Rousey
Sean Strickland’s harsh words reflect his belief that fighters should handle loss and adversity with mental toughness. He criticized Rousey for using her suicidal thoughts as a “but I overcame it” strong moment, which he found disingenuous. “I don’t know when suicide became cool but it became cool, like they made a Netflix show ’13 Reasons.’ Everybody’s fking depressed, everybody is suicidal, and let me fking tell you guys, it is not fcking cool. It is not f*king cool”.
Rousey’s loss to Holm marked the beginning of her decline in the sport, as she vanished from public sight for about a year before returning to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Unfortunately for Rousey, she was TKO’d by Nunes and ultimately retired from MMA.
Sean Strickland’s comments have sparked debate within the MMA community, with some agreeing with his stance on mental toughness and others criticizing his lack of empathy. Regardless of where one stands, it’s clear that Strickland’s fiery retort has left a lasting impression.
SHARE
