Machine Gun Kelly has found himself in hot water with the UFC for the second time in recent years. This time it was Sean Strickland who nearly came to blows with the rapper-turned-rocker at a combat sports event in Las Vegas last Friday night.
Strickland crossed paths with MGK at the Power Slap event held at the Durango Casino & Resort on February 17th. In a video posted to his Instagram, Strickland can be seen hurling insults at Kelly over his flamboyant choice of attire, calling him a “vampire” and comparing him to a “13-year old goth ‘South Park’ character.”
Is Machine Gun Kelly Becoming An MMA Target?
Things quickly grew heated before the two men were separated. Sean Strickland later wrote online,
I almost hit a vampire tonight… lol! They said his name is machine gun kelly.. How do you have a dope ass name and dress like a 13 goth south park character?!?
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) February 10, 2024
This isn’t the first confrontation between the Bloody Valentine singer and a UFC fighter. Back in September 2021, MGK famously got into an altercation with former two-division champion Conor McGregor on the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards.
Details remain unclear on what exactly sparked that incident. McGregor has claimed he attempted to greet Machine Gun Kelly for a photo before the singer’s security shoved him, spilling his drink. Other reports allege it was McGregor himself who instigated things.
Regardless, tensions rose to the point where Notorious can be seen angrily tossing his drink and taking a wild swing at MGK in captured footage. Cooler heads eventually prevailed and no punches were actually thrown.
But between that scene and now Strickland, it seems MGK has a knack for ruffling feathers in combat sports circles.
Should Machine Gun Kelly Be Wary Of UFC Fighters?
While his outlandish fashion and defiant attitude rub some people the wrong way, Machine Gun Kelly largely brings the drama on himself by choosing to attend these UFC-adjacent events.
As Strickland poked fun at on Instagram, MGK’s gender-bending personal style invariably draws attention. Kelly has also dated several celebrity girlfriends over the years from Amber Rose to Megan Fox which perhaps breeds a lot of unwanted attention from the public and celebrities.
At the end of the day, when you willingly enter testosterone-fueled spaces like UFC fights or slap contests dressed in peculiar attire, you can likely expect some heckling. MGK enjoys playing the provocateur, but he shouldn’t act surprised when it provokes.
Machine Gun Kelly first rose to fame as a rapper in the early 2010s with tracks like Wild Boy and Till I Die. He soon branched out into pop-punk rock music in 2020, releasing the album Tickets to My Downfall and scoring several hits like My Ex’s Best Friend.
Outside of music, MGK has become a tabloid fixture for his high-profile romances with stars like Megan Fox, whom he began dating in 2020. Their steamy relationship has drawn its fair share of publicity and criticism over Kelly’s eclectic personal style. Though often portrayed as a troublemaker, there’s no denying MGK knows how to keep his name in the headlines.
