Strickland sneaks into UFC White House Fan Fest, escorted out and faces disorderly conduct charge

Sean Strickland was escorted out of the UFC Fan Fest at the Ellipse near the White House on Sunday after sneaking into the event uninvited, and the UFC middleweight champion now faces a possible disorderly conduct charge — a Class B misdemeanor in Washington D.C. carrying a penalty of up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both.

Strickland had publicly claimed he was banned from the UFC’s historic White House card due to his outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy positions, including his alignment with Israel and the war in Iran. UFC CEO Dana White pushed back on that account, insisting no one was formally banned and that Strickland simply was not on the guest list given the event’s limited capacity.

Undeterred, Strickland travelled to Washington D.C. regardless. He drew a crowd at the pre-fight press conference on Friday before attempting to find his way into the fan fest on Sunday. He did make it inside — long enough to climb into a WWE ring set up at the venue — before security officers moved in and removed him from the premises. He was not arrested.

“I may have been charged with disorderly conduct. I don’t know what that is but it sounds cool,” Strickland said in an Instagram post. “Anyways, I just want to thank you fans. I can’t thank you guys enough. After being banned, you guys riding, supporting me, it means a lot to me.”

In a second post, Strickland shared a photo of himself being led away by a group of security officers. “Sorry you guys,” he wrote. “We almost made it! Promise one day, we will set up a circle and box. Thanks for your support.”

Whether a formal charge is ultimately filed remains unclear, but the episode adds another chapter to Strickland’s ongoing public feud with the UFC’s event organisers — and ensures the champion remained one of the weekend’s most talked-about figures despite never competing on the card.