Most controversial takes by UFC stars on gun control in the United States

The UFC has never been far removed from politics, whether it's the promotions president, Dana White, flaunting the benefits of his friendship with former American president Donald Trump or the UFC fighters expressing their controversial political views on a multitude of topics. Colby Covington, for example, potentially saved his own career in MMA's top-tier promotion by playing a politically charged caricature of himself to draw attention and generate interest in his bouts.

Other UFC stars — whether they are active or retired, fighters or otherwise — have used their platforms not in an effort to generate hype for upcoming fights or events, but to express their political beliefs to a wider audience. Oftentimes, those beliefs are controversial in nature.

Few topics garner as much political commentary from UFC figures as gun violence in the United States. This list explores five UFC stars who have expressed controversial takes on the debate surrounding gun control.

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#5. Joe Rogan

Legendary UFC commentator, comedian, and former "Fear Factor" host Joe Rogan is the owner of the world's most popular podcast. "The Joe Rogan Experience" has led to various guests from a multitude of industries, fields, and walks of life sharing their views on their various areas of expertise. However, from hosting a podcast that has made him a hundred-millionaire, Rogan has amassed one of the largest internet followings of any celebrity.

"Watch the entire episode for discussions on possible solutions to mass shootings" - The JRE Companion

Rogan's voice is known to millions, possibly billions, around the world. Thus, his own opinions on certain topics can be damaging when they're shared on public platforms like his own podcast. In the wake of rising gun violence in the United States, Joe Rogan took to his podcast to express his own views on the matter.

While the UFC commentator recognized the tragic nature of the United States' recent history with mass shootings, he also diminished the impact that the 2004 expiration of gun laws that prevented the purchase of automatic rifles and extended ammo clips had. Rogan voiced his belief that the issue of American mass shootings is due to a mental health problem, while discounting the role that the easy availability of automatic firearms plays in these tragedies.

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#4. Tim Kennedy

Tim Kenney is a former Strikeforce title challenger who made his career in MMA's light heavyweight and middleweight divisions. While he never captured a world championship in any major MMA promotion, he achieved relative popularity in the MMA world due to his past as a soldier in the United States Army, endearing him to the sport's most patriotic American fans. Like other Strikeforce fighters at the time, Kennedy became a UFC fighter and is well-known for his bout with Yoel Romero.

"On Fox & Friends, a former UFC fighter & military sniper says mass shootings happen because 'there's not enough masculinity' in America" - Bobby Lewis

Upon retiring from MMA, Kennedy — who has always been outspoken — grew increasingly political. In 2019, he appeared on FOX News to share his opinion that the reason behind the rise in mass shootings in the United States was not due to the ease with which Americans can purchase automatic firearms, but that there was not enough masculinity being driven into this generation's youth. He further reasoned that the growth of young boys is being stunted by medication used to treat ADHD.

Kennedy punctuated his sudden rant by talking of the United States' apparent victories over communism and fascism before claiming that a historical milestone like the Apollo 11 moon landing was only possible because of the hyperactivity that ADHD medication treats.

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#3. Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell is a sight to behold in the octagon. He is a dauntless grappler who doggedly pursues takedowns against everyone he faces. Once he manages to drag the fight to the ground, he is a dangerous submission specialist. Currently undefeated and riding a 15-fight win streak with victories over Edson Barboza, Mitchell is as exciting a talent in the featherweight division as he is controversial outside the UFC cage.

"Bryce Mitchell... 'SARS-COV-2 was created in a Lab by the U.S. government and deliberately released...the U.S. government stages mass shootings to advance a gun confiscation agenda.'" - Gregory Anderson

An avid conspiracy theorist, Mitchell shared his views on the recent mass shooting that targeted Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Mitchell, a gun owner, claimed that the bizarre hesitation shown by Uvalde's local law enforcement to enter school premises and intervene in the shooting was because they were allegedly ordered to stand down by the government. Mitchell's theory deepens by suggesting that the government's goal is to either stage and/or facilitate mass shootings to bring about a change in legislation to prevent assault rifles from being sold to ordinary citizens.

Mitchell further claimed that he would never surrender his own firearms and that he'd die to keep his AR-15, insisting that the government would otherwise starve its own citizens once they've taken their firearms away.

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#2. Sean Strickland

It is difficult to see where reality ends and imagination begins when it comes to current UFC middleweight Sean Strickland. It is suggested by many that Strickland has, much like Colby Covington, taken to playing an outlandish character to generate interest in his bouts as his rather safe fighting style of jabbing, feinting, and non-committal volume from range doesn't excite most MMA spectators. Regardless, Strickland is known for saying just about anything to draw a reaction.

"Sean Strickland has his Twitter account suspended following gun control rant" - Ultimate Fight Fan

Strickland is a frequent contrarian with an instinct for controversy. Thus, it should surprise no one that his Twitter account was recently suspended following an inflammatory rant about gun control. He described himself as a gun owner before disparaging countries with stricter gun laws, specifically claiming that while Germany and England suffer from fewer mass shootings, they no longer have real men and proceeded to describe them with a derogatory term used to attack the transgender community.

Whether Strickland believes what he often says is up to debate. Some claim he is being unapologetically himself, while the vast majority of observers assert he's merely playing a character designed to draw heat.

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#1. Ronda Rousey

Other than Conor McGregor and arguably Khabib Nurmagomedov, there is no UFC star — past or present — more popular than Ronda Rousey. She was MMA's first true crossover star, with her success in the octagon catapulting her into the world of mainstream fame. She was given roles, albeit minor, in blockbuster movies, and her future in Hollywood seemed set in stone. Her spectacular knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, however, derailed that train.

"Fun Fact: @RondaRousey is a Sandy Hook truther." - Bash the Fash

Regardless, her star still shines, even if a little dimmed by the losses and how she handled them. What failed to dent her star power, though, was her decision to retweet a YouTube video about a theory surrounding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that took place in 2012. The theory suggests that the shooting was staged by the government and questions whether distraught citizens were crisis actors before ultimately proposing that the government staged the shooting to disarm the American people.

While Rousey herself never directly agreed with the claims made in the video, her decision to retweet it and describe it as interesting was a shocking moment.