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Amanda Nunes responds to Sean Strickland’s sexist comments: ‘Don’t cry, man’ - MMA Fighting

MMA Fighting 2026-02-19 22:00 Read Original →

Summary Full Article

UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes publicly rebuked fighter Sean Strickland after he made sexist comments during UFC Houston media day, claiming nobody cares about women's MMA and that women have been "empowered too much to ruin society." Nunes, who plans to return from retirement to fight Kayla Harrison for the bantamweight title, responded that women fulfill traditional roles while also excelling as fighters, telling Strickland to "don't cry, man." The incident highlights ongoing tensions around women's legitimacy in MMA, particularly as the sport expands with Netflix entering the market through a Rousey-Carano superfight.

Second-Order Effects

Near-term consequences — what happens next

  1. **UFC and sponsor pressure on Strickland**: The UFC may face increased pressure from sponsors and broadcast partners (particularly as they expand media deals) to discipline or distance themselves from Strickland's comments, potentially affecting his promotional push, main event status, or marketability despite his drawing power with controversial statements.
  2. **Amplified promotion for Nunes-Harrison bout**: This controversy will likely generate significantly more mainstream media attention and social media engagement for Nunes's planned comeback fight against Kayla Harrison, potentially driving higher pay-per-view buys as fans rally to support women's MMA in direct response to Strickland's dismissal.
  3. **Polarization of MMA fanbase**: The incident will deepen existing divisions within MMA's audience between traditional fans who may sympathize with Strickland's "provocateur" persona and progressive fans/mainstream audiences that the UFC is courting, forcing the organization to choose which demographic to prioritize in marketing decisions.

Third-Order Effects

Deeper ripple effects — longer-term consequences

  1. **Acceleration of women's MMA institutional legitimacy**: As major platforms like Netflix invest heavily in women's MMA (Rousey-Carano fight), incidents like this may paradoxically strengthen the business case for women's fighting by demonstrating audience engagement and creating "proof of concept" moments that women fighters generate significant media value and passionate fan defense, leading to more equitable pay structures and promotional resources.
  2. **Shift in fighter conduct standards across combat sports**: The collision between MMA's historically permissive culture of trash talk and broader corporate entertainment standards may force leagues to implement clearer codes of conduct, fundamentally changing how fighters can build their brands and potentially reducing the "outlaw" appeal that has been central to MMA's identity and differentiation from traditional sports.
  3. **Gender dynamics reshaping in athletic meritocracy conversations**: High-profile female fighters consistently defending their legitimacy against male counterparts may influence broader cultural debates about women in physical professions (military, law enforcement, firefighting), as MMA provides visible, measurable proof of female combat capability that challenges traditional gender role arguments in ways that transcend sports into workforce and social policy discussions.