Sean Strickland addresses controversial take on men loving their dogs with Nina-Marie Daniele: "Maybe I do need therapy"
Sean Strickland has weighed in on his contentious view about men forming emotional bonds with their dogs. The former UFC middleweight champion is known for his straightforward and often provocative opinions on a wide range of socio-political issues.
In March, Strickland proposed starting a non-profit to rescue dogs from homeless owners in Las Vegas, Nevada. Subsequently, he posted a series of rants on X, criticizing the trend of men treating their canine companions like children.
'Tarzan' pointed to Barstool founder Dave Portnoy’s close relationship with his dog as evidence of this trend, suggesting that the deep emotional connections between men and their pets are troubling. He went further, labeling such relationships as a form of mental illness and attributing them to the deterioration of social values.
During a recent interview with Nina-Marie Daniele, Strickland was pressed to explain his belief that dogs shouldn't be equated with children. The 33-year-old Californian responded:
"It's so funny how people got mad at that. You have this innate need to take care of something, but instead of doing the right thing and being a f**king man, you get a dog."
He added:
"What I'm saying is that as a society, we need to stop treating dogs like f**king kids... Maybe I need therapy."
Check out Sean Strickland's comments below:
Strickland is set to go head-to-head with Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 302, scheduled for this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
When Sean Strickland raised questions about Israel Adesanya's mental state after UFC 293
In the lead-up to his championship bout against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 last September, Sean Strickland repeatedly targeted his opponent with relentless verbal jibes.
Strickland's primary focus was ridiculing 'The Last Stylebender' over an older video showing the former two-time middleweight champion cuddling his dog on a couch, which many fans deemed to feature inappropriate behavior with the pet.
During an episode of his Man Dance Podcast last October, 'Tarzan' disclosed that following his victory over Adesanya, the Nigerian-born Kiwi approached him and expressed his displeasure regarding the comments made about his deceased dog:
"He looks at me, and he's like, 'I would never make fun of your family, and I'm like, 'Izzy, I don't know your family, bro. I don't know if you have siblings. I don't know f**k about you.' This is after the fight. He starts pointing at his neck, and he's like, my f**king dog man, my dog.'"
He added:
"So, bottom line, Izzy, dude, I think the guy needs some help... Izzy, it's starting not to be funny anymore cause as I'm starting to understand Izzy and his love of his dog."
Check out Sean Strickland's comments below: