Sean Strickland is one of the most outspoken figures in UFC history – and that’s saying something.
But something that he said on social media this week after learning about the shooting of Charlie Kirk has sparked outrage.
Strickland, a former supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, shared that he was “excited” after learning about the video of Kirk’s murder in Utah on Wednesday.
“I’m on Twitter and somebody says, ‘Hey did you hear that Charlie Kirk got shot?’ And my gut reaction was like, ‘No I f***ing didn’t, but I’m excited,’” Strickland said in the video posted to social media.
WARNING: Language
“Like I felt this little dopamine spike in me where I’m like: ‘Dude I want to see the video.’
“Then I see in the video — real bad, real bad, but I still kind of excited from it. Like, ‘oh s***,’ you know?
“Like I could feel like my muscles tensing. And then I start thinking, man, what’s gonna come from this?”
However, Strickland then explained that his initial reaction made him re-evaluate his lack of empathy over the situation.
“(I) start thinking, man, like how the f*** did I become such a sociopath?” Strickland rhetorically asked. “Like, how am I so disattached (sic) from human beings. I don’t even see people, I just see potential threats.”
The former UFC middleweight champion mentioned recent acts of violence, including the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska and Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.
“We’re watching little kids get pulled out of buildings because maybe somebody’s launched a rocket, we are so desensitized, we’re so socialized … it’s so sad that we let these people ruin America and it’s like taking the soul from us,” he said.
“I’m just numb to seeing people die online. Just numb to tragedy in 2025. Welcome to the internet. The erosion of humanity one reel at a time.”
Strickland’s comments, particularly about his initial excitement, drew ire online with several commenters pleading with the fighter to “get some help.”
Kirk was killed by a single shot to the neck while speaking in front of a massive crowd at an outdoor event in Utah on Wednesday. On Friday morning, Trump announced that the suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, had been arrested.
Strickland, 34, has a professional MMA record of 29-7, with his most recent UFC fight being a loss to Dricus du Plessis earlier this year.