'Our government is desecrating its role': Bryce Mitchell slams White House event

UFC superstar Bryce Mitchell on Thursday criticized the Trump administration's decision to host UFC Freedom 250 on White House premises. Mitchell said that he was happy for the fighters competing in the event and the company as a whole. However, as far as the government was concerned, he said its main role was to protect American citizens rather than spend tax dollars and resources on hosting a sporting event. He did, however, say that he would be available if the organisers needed him to fill a place on the card.

"What I think personally is that our government is desecrating its role in society by entertaining sports," Mitchell said. "Our government is to protect and serve the people...when you are doing all of this stuff, hosting sporting events, it is really outside what the goal of the government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation...the government should never be hosting sporting events because there is more room for corruption and we already have a corrupt government."

Mitchell was also asked about fellow MMA fighter Sean Strickland, who recently posted a video on his X handle stating that he was barred from attending the UFC Freedom 250 event due to his views on the Trump administration and Israel. Strickland did apologize for his views, but in a sarcastic tone. "UFC higher-ups called me...they said, 'Sean, you've got to apologize, but you're not Israeli enough to go to UFC 250 Israel Edition. The White House didn't clear you,'" he said.

"And I'm not really surprised. You know, I'm not really surprised. So, you know, I think, moving forward, I would like to just apologize to Israel. I'd like to say I'm sorry. I'd like to apologize to Trump. And I just want to prove that I'm Israeli enough for you guys," Strickland added. Despite being barred from the event, the MMA fighter said that he still had the event's ticket and that he might still go and even bring a bullhorn.

When asked about it, Mitchell also said that he was not surprised by the White House's decision, accusing the Trump administration of clamping down on freedom of speech, even when the criticism is about a foreign nation. "We ought to be able to criticise our own nation, let alone a foreign nation," he said. "In fact, that (Israel) is the only nation you are not allowed to criticise. Something's going to change because evil empires don't last forever. There is always a rebellion."

Former Congresswoman and ex-Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor-Greene questioned the White House's decision to bar Strickland, a two-time UFC champion, from the UFC Freedom 250 event. "Is it true that American two-time UFC Champion @SStricklandMMA is banned from attending the WH UFC event? But Netanyahu, PM of a foreign country, Israel, is attending?" she wrote in a post on X.