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

#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.