UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland has come under fire after a video of him punching what appears to be a former Navy SEAL during a sparring session went viral.
A Navy SEAL veteran named Mitch entered the cage with the former UFC middleweight champion and was beaten for 25 minutes.
Strickland was seen punching Mitch as he tried to breathe, then taking him down with a leg kick. Some commenters debated the legitimacy of his Navy SEAL training, while others accused Strickland of “bullying” a civilian.
“This guy is a total jerk,” one user wrote.
“Is this how you show respect for the military?” another added.
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A third user said: “You'd think an uneducated country bumpkin would be grateful for the military.”
Meanwhile, a fourth suggested: “Watch Sean Strickland play 25 minutes for Navy.”
“Shawn beats everyone except UFC fighters lol,” joked a fifth.
Strickland previously challenged former Navy SEAL Jason Pike, who claims he can hurt MMA fighters in street fights, but his accusations on social media went unanswered.
Strickland continued to slam the Navy SEALs in the video, saying, “I don't think there's a single Navy SEAL out there who could stand a week of training with me.”
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Despite the one-sided defeat, Strickland showed Mitch respect, as the bloodied sparring partners held out until the final buzzer after “Tarzan” said, “I don't want to knock you out, I want you to quit.”
“Navy SEALs, I'll correct that,” Strickland told the camera. “I salute you guys. You didn't give up.”
“I never dreamed we'd win this game,” Mitch said after the match. “Sean is awesome.”
Strickland has a 29-6 mixed martial arts record and a 16-6 UFC record, having won the UFC middleweight title from Israel Adesanya, lost it to current champion Dorricus du Plessis, and bounced back with a win over Paulo Costa in a title eliminator.
He is currently ranked as the No. 1 contender in the 185-pound weight class.
Prior to his fight with Mitchell, Strickland sparred with former K-1 super lightweight champion Rukiya Anpo during a tour of Japan and also attacked social media creator Sneeko in February.
“Challenged and lost,” Strickland captioned a video of X. “Mitch was a solid guy. One of the real deal guys, in fact. Joe Rogan needs this guy on his podcast. He's one of us.”
