Strickland slams New York ahead of UFC Newark bout with Chimaev

Sean Strickland posted a controversial tweet criticizing New York and its residents ahead of his upcoming fight with Khamzat Chimaev in Newark, New Jersey. The event will take place at the Prudential Center, located just 35 minutes from Central Park in New York City. Rather than showing appreciation for the local area as athletes typically do, Strickland called New York "a perfect example of what it means to be a Democrat" and labeled the city and most of its inhabitants as "a disgrace to America." He stated that people there are either criminals or wealthy individuals without backbone. This inflammatory rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the usual promotional approach fighters take when competing near major cities.