Former UFC Champion Sean Strickland has seemingly turned on Donald Trump following the United States’ strike on Iranian nuclear sites.
The US president stunned the world overnight when he launched a massive military strike intended to terminate Iran’s quest for a doomsday nuclear weapon.
Trump ordered the devastating attack on Saturday and six B-2 stealth bombers dropped a dozen 30,000-pound ‘bunker buster’ bombs on Iran’s primary nuclear facility.
While Trump declared the strike a ‘spectacular military success,’ some of his loyal supporters appeared to condemn them.
Strickland, who backed the president in the buildup to last year’s election, risked the wrath of the UFC and CEO Dana White by mocking Trump on social media.
‘Israel “jump” Trump “how high”,’ the American fighter posted on X Saturday night, seemingly suggesting that the president was being puppeteered by Israel.
Sean Strickland (R) has seemingly turned on Donald Trump (L) over the US’s strikes on Iran
The former UFC champion appeared to mock the president on social media Saturday night
Trump has been an ardent backer of the UFC in recent years, frequently attending fight nights since retaking the Oval Office last November.
He stole the show at UFC 314 in Miami and and UFC 316 in New Jersey earlier this year when he was granted his own high-profile walkouts before taking his front row seat alongside UFC chief and close friend White.
Trump even tapped White to speak for him at the last three Republican National Conventions, leading many to wonder if he’d serve a greater role in the White House at some point.
Meanwhile, Strickland has previously backed Trump, offering his support after the president survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year.
Trump has also been in attendance at several of Strickland’s fights in the Octagon, while the fighter publicly declared his support for Trump after a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June 2024.
However, the former middleweight champion has since been vocally critical against the US’s involvement in the conflict in the Middle East.
Just earlier this week, Strickland hit out at the president as he suggested Trump was neglecting the wishes of those who elected him to office.
The 34-year-old replied to a social media post from Trump, in which the Commander-in-Chief had boasted about the US military taking ‘complete and total control over the skies of Iran.’
The Fordow nuclear enrichment site, 80 miles south of Tehran, was flattened
Buildings in Tel Aviv suffered significant damage in retaliatory strikes from Iran
‘America doesn’t want to be involved in Israel’s war…… This is not our war. We don’t want it. You were elected by the people. Listen to the people who elected you. WE DO NOT WANT THIS!!!!’ Strickland wrote in response.
Strickland was equally vocal against the US’s involvement in the conflict in the Middle East back in February amid reports of a deal for Trump to sell $8 billion worth of arms to Israel.
‘Man if Trump keeps this bs up I’m about to start waving a Palestinian flag.. American cities are shitholes and you wanna go spend billions on this dumpster fire.. Did we make a mistake?! This ain’t America first..’ Strickland wrote on X at the time.
In a late-night address to the nation following Saturday night’s strikes, Trump claimed the top secret uranium enrichment base hidden deep inside a mountain at Fordow, 80 miles south of Tehran, was flattened.
U.S. submarines also fired 30 Tomahawk missiles and wiped out two other Iranian nuclear sites at Natanz and Isfahan.
Iran’s foreign minister condemned the offensive as ‘extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.’
‘The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,’ Seyed Abbas Araghchi said. ‘Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.’
By Sunday morning, Israel was being struck by a barrage of missiles as Iran launched a retaliatory attack.
The dramatic series of events caught everyone off guard when Trump acted swiftly after meeting with his national security team in the White House Situation Room.
Just 48 hours earlier, the president had said he would decide ‘within two weeks’ whether to send in U.S. bombers to help Israel destroy Iran’s nuclear program.
