“You Could Be LeBron James and”: Sean Strickland Points Out Peculiar Behavior of MMA Fans, Calls Sport ‘Weird’

MMA fans, UFC in particular, can be a bit awkward at times. Remember the time when the audience walked out on Glover Teixeira during his retirement just because the co-main event between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno ended up being ant-climatic? Well, such quirks exist in every sport, but in UFC and MMA, things are intertwined as per Sean Strickland.

Reflecting on fan interaction during UFC X in Las Vegas, the former middleweight champ spoke his mind, saying,

“UFC fans are the best, you guys. But you know, MMA is a very weird sport to where like, you can be LeBron James and there’s no real interaction and MMA and UFC are so intertwined with the fans and so it is always so great to have this kind of heart to heart interaction with the guys. So, I love the UFC fans.”

Unlike the promotion’s other events, UFC X is a two-day extravaganza that offers the fandom an up-close and personal interaction with their favorite fighters in honor of the international fight week. During the event, Strickland graced his fandom with his presence and that’s when he revealed the peculiar behavior of MMA fans with a LeBron James reference.

In essence, what Strickland says is that, no matter how big you are, the fans will have a specific approach to you even if you are the LeBron James of MMA. Moreover, he also pointed out that while fan interactions can feel cold and lackluster at times, they are warm and lively when the stars align.

However, what actually is UFC X, that makes such interactions possible?

What is UFC X? Here are the details you need to know

As mentioned above, UFC X is a two-day event set on the 28 and 29 of June commemorating the 12th International Fight Week. As per the UFC, the special event would offer, “Unparalleled access to UFC champions, Hall of Fames, top-ranked contenders, and other UFC personalities.” In fact, the promotion has even included a specific time for fans to meet, greet, and get autographs from fighters like, Mark Coleman, Robbie Lawler, Holly Holm, and Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov.

Besides these programs, a special Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place ahead of the massive UFC 303. Veterans of the sport like Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer’ Silva, former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are among the notable names that will be inducted into the class of 2024.

While the ticket fares for VIP access to the event are on the higher side at $575 for a day and $1000 for two days, normal tickets will set you back by $25 for a single day and $45 for a two-day access.