Sean Strickland has rarely hidden his politics, and the former UFC middleweight champion was viewed as one of Donald Trump's more vocal sporting supporters.
That stance now looks less straightforward after recent decisions he has criticised, including US involvement in the war against Iran, which has tested his "America First" loyalty.
His latest comments came after Kentucky's 4th Congressional District Republican primary, where Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein defeated incumbent Thomas Massie to secure the GOP nomination for November.
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Strickland reacted on X by making clear his anger was not simply about Massie losing, but about what he sees as outside influence shaping American politics.
"It has nothing to do with Thomas Massie losing, it has everything to do with a foreign government and its supporters lobbying 30 million to protect its interest of a foreign government," he wrote.
"This isn't America first. I'm more committed to never vote for an AIPAC candidate again."
Gallrein, a Shelbyville farmer and former Navy SEAL, ran as a candidate closely aligned with Trump's agenda, making the result politically significant beyond one district.
For Strickland, that appears to have sharpened a wider concern about candidates who claim the America First label while backing policies he believes contradict it.
His post does not amount to a full break from Trump, as they still share some values, but it indicates that his support is no longer automatic.
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