Out Sports founder and editor Cyd Ziegler was first to tell the LGBTQ+ community about Sean Strickland. Out Sports has written extensively on the UFC championship that took place over the weekend. Ziegler shared with Queer News Executive Producer Al Ferguson that this is the most anti-LGBTQ+ exchange from a professional sports star in history. UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland has sparked controversy with deeply homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ remarks during a press conference in Toronto ahead of UFC 297. In a conversation with MMA journalist Alex Lee, who inquired about Strickland's previous statements on disapproving of a potential gay son, the fighter escalated tensions. After asking if Lee had voted for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and labeling him 'the enemy,' Strickland questioned Lee's sexuality and launched a personal attack when Lee expressed acceptance of a gay son. Strickland continued to berate Lee, accusing him of being the cause of every problem in the world. Lee, who comes from a city with a strong LGBTQ+ community, felt compelled to address the fighter's stance on LGBTQ+ issues. He highlights the need for confronting such views in the sports community. Strickland launched into dramatic trans attacks. During the post-fight press conference for UFC 297, a question was posed to UFC CEO Dana White regarding the possibility of limiting Strickland's speech. White said he does not believe in controlling anyone's speech and is not inclined to impose limitations. In his words, “People can say whatever they want, they can believe whatever they want.” ESPN, owned by ABC Disney, received tremendous social media backlash for not issuing a strong response to Strickland and the UFC. Cyd Zigler condemned Strickland’s “horrific language” through a social media post on X. Cyd Zigler's interview on Unapologetically Queer with Al Ferguson has received backlash after UFC’s incident, with some people making harsh comments like ‘infection’ under the video. These developments emphasize that the sports community and sports fans need to be more inclusive of the presence and progress of LGBTQ+ community in sports. #Queer Up Sports