'Knock this guy out' - Strickland comments anger Australian media
Sean Strickland has angered Australian media with a series of inflammatory comments before his middleweight title fight against champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 in Sydney on Saturday.
Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph put Strickland on their back page on Thursday, urging someone to "knock this guy out" after the American criticised Australia's government and laws.
Strickland, 33, has made a number of controversial comments in fight week, which the UFC posted on its YouTube titled 'Sean Strickland Goes Off The Rails'.
At Thursday's news conference in Sydney, after being shown the Daily Telegraph's back page Strickland was both cheered and booed by fans as he criticised the country's laws on free speech.
"I come to this country and speak about freedom of speech, guns, and taxes, and these communists in the media try to put me down," said Strickland.
"Why? Because you want to control the media and you don't like freedom of speech."
Before that, Strickland had praised Australia, saying he could see himself living there if it was not for the country's "lack of freedoms".
His tirade shines a spotlight on free speech in the UFC once again following a range of antisemitic, homophobic and transphobic comments made by American featherweight Bryce Mitchell last week.
Mitchell said Adolf Hitler was a "good guy" and that "the Holocaust ain't real", prompting UFC president Dana White to condemn the comments as "beyond disgusting".
White said the UFC would not punish Mitchell, however, adding that while what he said "was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard", his comments would be protected by free speech.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, White explained why Mitchell would not be reprimanded by the UFC.
"I think probably the most important free speech to protect is hate speech," White said.
"Because when a government or a certain person can come out and determine saying 'this is hate speech', it's a very slippery slope and it's dangerous, in my opinion."
Hate speech is punishable under Australian law and this week lawmakers passed a series of amendments to hate crime laws in Australia, including making hate symbols and terror offences punishable with mandatory jail terms ranging from one to six years.
Strickland's bout with Du Plessis is a rematch of their fight last January, which the South African won via split decision.
Strickland also made homophobic and transphobic comments in the build-up to that fight, with White adding the American was exercising his "free speech" at the post-fight news conference.
