Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland's recent admission of having bullied a fellow student during his high school years sparked a wave of backlash from fans online.
Strickland has drawn as much attention for his abrasive and controversial antics outside the Octagon as for his impressive prowess within it. With his unapologetically bold and raw demeanor, the 33-year-old Californian has become a divisive figure in the MMA world, regularly igniting debate with his provocative takes on everyday matters.
"Tarzan" has never shied away from stirring the pot, frequently finding himself at the center of controversy. Whether it’s dishing out a ruthless beatdown on popular streamer Sneako during a sparring session, advocating for bullying as a way to push overweight individuals to lose weight, or receiving a sharp rebuke from UFC CEO Dana White about potential deportation from Canada ahead of his UFC 297 bout with Dricus Du Plessis due to his divisive comments on the LGBTQ community, Strickland's behavior has consistently kept him walking a razor's edge.
Following a recent school shooting in Georgia, Strickland took to X to reflect on his past, admitting that during his high school years, he had bullied and beaten a classmate named Dunkin. Attempting to make amends, he offered a brief and seemingly casual apology for his actions.
"Public schools=hell. There was this one kid, Dunkin," Strickland tweeted. "My full-time HS punching bag until he vanished. I was so hard on this guy. Beating him up in the locker room daily, calling him colombine. My bad, man, truly it's not an excuse… but I got it way worse than I gave it."
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Strickland's Bullying Admission Draws Heavy Criticism From MMA Fans
The MMA community responded to Strickland's confession about being a high school bully with a wave of reactions, many of them calling him out for perpetuating the cycle of abuse he endured from his troubled childhood and abusive father.
One fan sarcastically mocked him for relying on split-decision victories in most of his bouts.
"Did you jab him to a split decision?"
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Another fan shared a meme of Du Plessis taking a verbal jab at Strickland's turbulent upbringing during the UFC 297 press conference.
"Same happened here."
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Another fan suggested that "Tarzan" should track down the person he bullied in high school and offer a car as a peace offering.
"Find him. Buy him a car or something."
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One fan called out Strickland for his half-hearted apology.
"'My bad man' gotta be up there with the top 10 worst apologies ever."
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"Bro, you’re a literal walking piece of garbage."
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"What would you do to protect your son from people like you (as a kid)?"
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"Maybe you guys can catch up with a sparring session."
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"That boy was Dricus Du'nkin Plessis, who came back and ultimately got his revenge."
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"You deserve to be cast in a WWE Marine movie sequel for that."
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"At least Sean admits he was in the wrong. I see 1000s of clips on X where people gang up on others or beat up handicapped people. It’s sick ."
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"Sean, you were born too late. You were meant for different things for a different time"
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