Dana White has denied claims that middleweight champ Sean Strickland has been banned from attending the UFC’s upcoming White House event, insisting the former middleweight champion has simply not been invited due to limited capacity at the historic show.

Strickland had publicly suggested he was unable to attend the event, which is scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House and will be headlined by Ilia Topuria’s title fight against Justin Gaethje. White addressed the claims during a media appearance ahead of the card.

“Everybody is banned apparently. Of course Sean Strickland isn’t banned,” said White, according to talkSPORT. He added: “Sean Strickland is banned from humanity. Okay? We don’t want him near any human beings anywhere. F**king shows up at Power Slap, he starts fights. And he made it very clear that he didn’t want to be part of this event and now apparently he’s banned. Nobody is banned.”

White said attendance restrictions are due to the unique nature of the event rather than any decision to exclude specific individuals. “This is obviously a very unique event where, first of all, there’s only so much room. Literally, nobody has been banned from this event,” said White. “There’s a lot of bullish*t floating around out there. Nothing is banned.”

The UFC president indicated that space limitations remain the primary issue, with only 4,500 spectators, including media and invited guests, expected to be accommodated on the South Lawn. “I want as many people to be inside this thing and experience it as possible, you know,” said White. “If we could have done more seats, if we could have done I’d have done more. That’s why [they] opened up the Ellipse.”

Attention will now turn to the event itself, which has faced logistical challenges in the build-up, including legal opposition and concerns over weather conditions. White said the promotion intends to proceed regardless of rain, with lightning the only factor likely to cause a delay. “Nothing will stop this show going that night,” said White. “Lightning is the only thing. We’d have to wait it out. We’d have to wait the lightning out and then do the fight.”

The outdoor event is expected to attract several of the UFC’s biggest names and marks one of the most unusual venues in the promotion’s history. White acknowledged the risks associated with staging an event outdoors but maintained that organisers are prepared for potential disruptions. “If any of those things happen, it doesn’t matter, we’re still going,” he said.