Sean Strickland blames “Political wokeness” for Summer Olympics boxing controversy

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland didn’t mince words in expressing his views on the controversy surrounding Olympic boxing.

Strickland is in line for another UFC middleweight title shot after defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302. Before that, he lost to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, ending his middleweight title reign.

Strickland is never afraid to make his opinions known on a variety of issues, including gender. In light of the massive controversy surrounding Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, Strickland didn’t hold back.

Sean Strickland goes off on Imane Khelif, 2024 Summer Olympics

In a recent post to his X page, Strickland weighed in on the controversy surrounding Khelif and Olympic boxing.

Here's the facts. The Olympics didn't test this boxer for political reasons. This boxer has failed a gender test in the past. The boxer may be intersex.. This situation was created because the Olympics failed their athletes and their fans out of political wokeness. pic.twitter.com/c5fRqGyiny

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) August 1, 2024

“Here’s the facts,” Strickland began. “The Olympics didn’t test this boxer for political reasons. This boxer has failed a gender test in the past. The boxer may be intersex.. This situation was created because the Olympics failed their athletes and their fans out of political wokeness.”

Khelif, an Algerian boxer, defeated Italy’s Angela Carini at the 2024 Summer Olympics this week. Just seconds into the fight, Carini quit the bout after taking a series of devastating punches to her face.

Khelif’s emphatic performance is marred by questions about their gender. Last year, at the 2023 World Championships, Khelif failed a gender eligibility test after testing positive for XY (male) chromosomes.

Despite the failed test last year, Khelif was still permitted to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee. It’s uncertain if the IOC tested Khelif under similar benchmarks.

Since the story went viral, it’s been reported that Khelif suffers from Swyer Syndrome, a genetic condition that can cause a woman to be born with XY chromosomes. This would explain the failed gender eligibility test last year, as Strickland referred to.

That hasn’t stopped many online from ripping Khelif and the IOC after the Carini bout. As of this writing, it’s uncertain when Khelif will return to the ring in Paris.

In the meantime, Strickland is adding to the uproar regarding Khelif and their eligibility, especially at a time in which transgender athletes are a hotly debated topic.