UFC fighter goes on anti-Canada homophobic tirade in Toronto

Trigger warning: This article contains homophobic and transphobic language.

On Wednesday, UFC fighter Sean Strickland went on a major rant during a press conference before his fight in Toronto this weekend. The American sounded off on a number of topics, expressing many homophobic and transphobic thoughts.

It all started when, unprovoked, Strickland interrupted a reporter to ask if he was Canadian. From there, the rant turned into an attack on Canada and supporters of Justin Trudeau.

"So this is what I'm talking about, guys, the enemy. The enemy, of Canada," said the fighter about the reporter who had refused to answer who he voted for in the last Canadian election. This was just the beginning of the rant.

From there, things continued to escalate. The Canadian reporter then tried to ask about some comments the fighter had made in the past about the LGBTQ+ community. Strickland went on to berate the reporter even more, repeatedly asking, "Are you gay?"

The 32-year-old from California then went on a long monologue that spiralled out of control as he insulted Trudeau, Canada, the reporter, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

"You're a weak f*cking man. You elected Justin Trudeau," he said, after learning that the reporter was not homophobic. "The fact that you have no f*cking backbone, and as he shut down your country and seized bank accounts, you ask me some stupid sh*t like that. Go f*ck yourself."

Strickland was then asked about transphobic comments he has made in the past.

"Ten years ago, to be trans was a mental f*cking illness," the fighter continued. "And now, all of a sudden, people like you have f*cking weaselled your way in the world. You are an infection. You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f*cking you."

Strickland will fight Dricus Du Plessis, a man he threatened to stab earlier this week, in the main event on Saturday night. There is also a co-main event featuring Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva planned for the night.

UFC 297 takes place this Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It's the second Canadian city to host a UFC event in recent months, as Vancouver did so last summer. There is a Canadian fighter entering the octagon as the Quebec-born Charles Jourdain will face American Sean Woodson as part of the undercard.