He once believed in Neo-Nazism - Ariel Helwani explains why "gay son" question to Sean Strickland may not be unfair "baiting"
Ariel Helwani has broken down why the recent "gay son" question to Sean Strickland wasn't unfair or an attempt to bait him. Heading into the UFC 297 (Jan. 20, 2024) event, Strickland fielded multiple questions from the media.
During a media scrum, an MMA journalist, Alexander K. Lee, referenced 'Tarzan's' past remarks that have long been criticized by many as homophobic. Strickland was once asked whether he'd prefer having a gay son or a pr**titute daughter. He responded by suggesting that if his son were gay, he'd believe he "failed as a man."
When Lee brought up Strickland's aforementioned assertions during the media scrum this month, the UFC star seemingly accused him of baiting with incendiary questions.
On The MMA Hour podcast, Ariel Helwani defended his fellow MMA journalist. Helwani indicated that he himself might've not asked Sean Strickland such a sensitive question at a public media event so close to a big fight.
Nevertheless, Helwani asserted that 'Tarzan' is known to initiate socio-political discussions that aren't directly connected to sports. Defending Lee, he stated:
"But I don't think it was an unfair question. And I also think the idea that he [Lee] was baiting him is completely ludicrous. I'll explain why. Number one, he's asking him a question about something that he [Strickland] said, so he [Lee] just wanted to know if you still feel this way. Baiting someone is you're trying to twist their words, you're trying to catch them, you're trying to trip them up. It was just a simple, like, 'You said this. Do you still believe this way?' That, to me, isn't baiting."
Moreover, Helwani harked back to Strickland's self-admitted Neo-Nazi past. He implied that 'Tarzan' is no stranger to openly addressing topics of the sensitive ilk. He reiterated that Lee's question was simply about a past comment Strickland made.
Check out Helwani's comments below (2:25-3:42):
When Ariel Helwani lauded Sean Strickland, drawing parallels with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
Sean Strickland suffered a split decision defeat against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, thereby losing his UFC middleweight championship. Presently, it's unclear as to whom he'll fight next. Regardless, Strickland's supporters have been lobbying for him to get an immediate title rematch.
As for Ariel Helwani, he's often expressed his support for Sean Strickland and free speech, whilst also acknowledging that his comments do sometimes cross the line. Speaking of which, on The MMA Hour last year, he notably compared Strickland to WWE legend 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.
Pointing out that both stars displayed anti-hero traits, he stressed that a significant dichotomy between them is that Austin was against the WWE organization and bosses, whereas Strickland isn't anti-UFC. Helwani said:
"He resonates with his audience, he resonates with the MMA fan. Is he Stone Cold? Well, Stone Cold was very anti-establishment, the establishment was, Vince McMahon and the stooges and the goons and all that stuff, Sean isn't anti-Dana White, he's not anti-UFC."
Watch Helwani's assessment below (1:39):