Strickland calls Adin Ross' UFC Apex card 'shameful' after attending Brand Risk 14

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland publicly denounced Adin Ross’ Brand Risk 14 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday, posting a scathing reaction on his Instagram Stories immediately after leaving the card. Strickland (30-7), who attended alongside fellow UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan and UFC president Dana White, said he had never been part of anything so shameful in his life.

“I have never been a part of anything so shameful in my life,” Strickland said. “And I hate myself and I feel like less of a man after being here. Oh God, why did I agree to this? I’m sick to my stomach.”

Brand Risk 14 featured a mixed roster of celebrity participants, including musician Ray J, former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel, and former NBA players Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson. The card also included MMA bouts involving little people, a format that drew particular criticism from Strickland.

Beyond the event itself, Strickland used the moment to voice broader frustration with the growing presence of online streamers in MMA culture. Figures such as the Nelk Boys, N3on, Ross, and Nina Marie-Daniele have become regular fixtures in UFC circles, and White has previously suggested the influencer community could eventually supplant traditional MMA media.

“I think what sucks is you have these streamers and they have this massive following and you just know that they’re the next generations of Americans,” Strickland said. “It’s so f—ing sad to think that the streamer community is gonna inherit America. It’s so bad. I just want it all to stop.”

Strickland’s outburst reflects a tension that has been building within the sport as influencer crossover events attract mainstream attention while drawing scepticism from established fighters and media figures. Whether his comments prompt any response from Ross, White, or the broader streamer community remains to be seen.