Sean Strickland walked out of Adin Ross’ Brand Risk 14 after the Johnny Manziel vs. Bob Menery card and did not dress it up afterward. The UFC middleweight champion said the influencer fight event made him feel ashamed, sick, and ready to leave early.
Strickland attended the card at Meta APEX, where he was reportedly a guest commentator for one fight. The night was headlined by former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel against social media personality Bob Menery, with streamer Adin Ross promoting the event. Manziel stopped Menery in the first round, while former NBA player Lance Stephenson beat Michael Beasley in 90 seconds in the co-main event.
The appearance came during another loud stretch for Strickland, who recently brought the UFC belt back to Xtreme Couture after his Khamzat Chimaev win. He has built a reputation for saying exactly what he thinks, and Brand Risk 14 was no exception.
“I’ve never been a part of anything so shameful in my life and I hate myself,” Strickland said on Instagram Stories. “And I feel like less of a man after being here. Oh, God, why did I agree to this? …
Watch the clip below:
Sean Strickland walked out of Adin Ross' MMA event early and says he's ashamed of himself for even attending 😭
"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."
(via @SStricklandMMA) https://t.co/8n0hXJud1e pic.twitter.com/iZkKrQBfCI
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 24, 2026
Strickland kept going after leaving the building.
“I had to get the f*ck out of there, man. … I like Adin, but I’m like sick to my f*cking stomach. That is f*cked up. This is the most f*cked up thing I’ve ever witnessed in my f*cking life. I’m ready to go home and look myself in the mirror after, I’ve never done anything so shameful in my life being a part of this. Sorry, guys. Was just trying to say hi to a friend, next thing you know, your dignity is gone.”
Strickland Blames Streaming Culture After Brand Risk 14
Strickland did not say every fight was trash. His bigger issue was the surrounding scene and what he thinks it says about internet personalities moving deeper into combat sports. The event also carried a UFC connection because Dana White supported it and the card took place at the APEX, which made the whole thing harder for MMA fans to ignore.
“You know what it is guys? There was some good boxing and then shit got all f*cking weird,” Strickland said. “But I think what sucks is you take these streamers and they have this like massive following, and you just know that their the next generations of Americans.
“It’s so f*cking sad to think that the streamer community is going to inherit America. It’s so bad. I just want it all to stop. It’s so bad, you guys. It’s so bad.”
Strickland’s split-decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302, his title run, and his public feuds have made him one of the UFC’s least filtered names. This time, the target was not an opponent. It was the influencer fight scene around him.
White has leaned into crossover attention when it benefits the UFC, from celebrity fight weeks to bigger spectacle plays like the planned UFC White House event. Strickland’s reaction showed the risk. The attention is real, but so is the backlash from MMA fans who see influencer cards as a hard sell.
