During his appearance before the media in the run-up to UFC Houston, Sean Strickland starred in a new controversy by launching a tirade against the fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, as well as against women's mixed martial arts in general. Strickland assured that "no one gives a f*" for the Rousey-Carano fight and compared the interest in the women's divisions to that of the WNBA, stating that the public is not attracted to those fights. In addition, he stated that "the weakest man in the room" could beat Amanda Nunes, completely minimizing the achievements of the former champion. The fighter added that, in his opinion, women "should focus on what they really do well: having children, being mothers, cooking and cleaning," blaming female empowerment for "ruining society." These statements, widely criticized for their misogynistic tone, reinforced Strickland's image as a public relations nightmare for the organization, which has historically avoided directly censoring its fighters despite the media impact of his comments.