‘Knock this guy out’ – Strickland comments anger Australian media

Before his middleweight title fight against champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 on Saturday, Sean Strickland made a number of incendiary remarks in the Australian media.

After the American criticised Australia’s government and laws, the Daily Telegraph placed Strickland on their back page on Thursday, urging readers to “knock this guy out.”

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 oppose free speech and want to control the media.

UFC president Dana White criticized Mitchell’s comments as “beyond disgusting” and that “the Holocaust ain’t real.”

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.

White explained why Mitchell wouldn’t receive reprimands from the UFC in an interview with Piers Morgan.

Hate speech is, in my opinion, the most crucial form of free speech to protect, 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 a crime under Australian law, and this week, lawmakers approved a number of amendments to Australian hate crime laws, including one that would put a maximum sentence on terror offenses as well as one- to six-year sentences for hate crimes.

Strickland’s bout with Du Plessis is a rematch of their fight last January, which the South African won via split decision.