UFC Star Talks Missing Freedom 250, Says He'd Ask Trump To Release The Epstein Files

Sean Strickland was asked whether he had an issue with missing out on the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House in June. 

Freedom 250 will emanate from a temporary set-up on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, with the event falling on President Trump's birthday. 

The card is due to be headlined by Ilia Topuria defending his Lightweight Championship against Interim Champion Justin Gaethje and co-headlined by Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. 

But Strickland, challenging for the Middleweight Championship held by Khamzat Chimaev on May 9, will not be a part of the event, and was asked during a media scrum (via "MMA Mania") whether or not that was an issue for him. 

"I mean, I don't know dude," he responded. "I do make fun of Trump a lot. I mean, you know, the [Epstein clients/associates] list got a little weird. Got a little weird, right? I think they know I would be like, I think they know I probably wouldn't shut the f*** up. I would win a fight and be like, 'So, you guys, are we going to release that anytime soon? Which one of you f***ed the kids?"

Strickland has been quite vocal about the connection between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, the financier convicted of child sex trafficking who died of an apparent suicide in prison in 2019. He had previously rebuffed the idea of fighting at the White House card on the idea he would be "hanging out with the Epstein list" and further riffed on that when he was omitted from the UFC-FBI training seminar in March.