UFC champion Sean Strickland slammed for AI video attacking Dylan Mulvaney
Sean Strickland posted a fake AI video attacking Dylan Mulvaney (Getty Images)
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is facing criticism after sharing an AI-generated video depicting himself violently attacking trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a fighting ring as part of a fake advertisement referencing her 2023 partnership with Bud Light.
The post, shared by Strickland on Instagram at the start of Pride Month (2 June), appeared to mock both Mulvaney and the beer brand while referencing the conservative backlash that followed her 2023 Bud Light promotional campaign.
The AI-generated clip was accompanied by a caption from Strickland celebrating what he suggested was a reduced corporate focus on LGBTQ+ visibility. “I’ve yet to see one rainbow flag. We’re back!!!” he wrote, before tagging Bud Light.
While many in the comments sadly praised the fake clip, others stood out to slam Strickland. One wrote: “We don’t care about you… happy Pride!” Another said: “This post is gayer than anything going on during Pride Month.”
The fighter has been one of Mulvaney’s most vocal critics since the Bud Light controversy and has repeatedly made anti-trans remarks in interviews and on social media. Ahead of the UFC 297 event in January 2024, he described trans people as an “infection” and said: “You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f****** you.”
Strickland continued the discussion on X, where he posted: “Say what you want about Trump but June has got far less gay,” and responded to criticism by describing homosexuality as “anti-American”.
Despite describing Strickland as a “nightmare” to work with in the past, UFC CEO and president Dana White has continued to book the fighter.
A GLAAD spokesperson said of the video: “This AI-generated video depicts an abhorrent act of physical violence – it is all the more heinous that this verified Instagram account is using deepfake technology to depict and celebrate an extreme attack against a prominent trans woman, posted deliberately at the start of Pride Month.
“This fake video illustrates the real and present danger of AI being deployed in service of hate and intimidation: it supercharges dehumanisation and puts a target on the backs of trans people who are already facing an unprecedented wave of violence and political targeting.
“It clearly violates Meta’s own Community Standards on violent threats against protected groups and, as is Meta’s practice for such violent content, should be removed. Companies like Meta should be held accountable for the safety of LGBTQ people — online and off.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
