Joaquin Buckley and Sean Strickland went at it on social media over the former UFC champ’s use of a racial slur on a recent live stream.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is hours away from one of the most important fights of his career, but he’s still stirring up controversy away from the cage.
Strickland, who fights Anthony Hernandez this weekend at UFC Houston, used a racial slur directed at African Americans during one of Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s recent live streams. The incident drew strong responses on social media.
After the clip went viral, UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley scolded Strickland for using the slur.
“[Sean] you not slick I know what you trying to do,” Buckley said.
“But chill out cause the real n—– got to stand on biz.”
Joaquin Buckley, Sean Strickland trade barbs over use of racial slur
In a series of Instagram comments, Strickland appeared to respond to Buckley’s callout.
Here’s the full clip 👇 pic.twitter.com/d9WG4Yjn9E
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) February 19, 2026
“Buckley is the black version of a Karen,” Strickland said.
“Lmao I’ve never lost a game of racist chicken. Buckley is the type of guy who gets kicked out of a store for being obnoxious and then says ‘it’s because I’m black, you’re racist’. Lmao bro you’re bad at fighting and you’re even worse at being an influence. Your entire [Instagram] is just one giant cringe.”
In response, Buckley appeared to hint at confronting Strickland this weekend at UFC Houston.
“Bet see you in Houston big fella,” Buckley said.
Strickland and Buckley used to be in the same division earlier in their UFC careers. Since making the full-time move from middleweight to welterweight, Buckley has won six of his last seven fights, including finishes against Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson.
This is far from the first element of controversy surrounding Strickland ahead of UFC Houston. Ahead of his fight with Hernandez, Strickland shared an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) image featuring him and Hernandez, in a perceived shot at Hernandez’s Mexican heritage.
If Strickland and Buckley run into each other this weekend in Houston, expect chaos to potentially ensue.
What is your prediction for Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez? Let us know in the comments!