In a move that has fight fans raising eyebrows, UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is attempting to score free tickets to this weekend's blockbuster MVP MMA event—after publicly trashing its headliners.

The controversial "Tarzan" made headlines for his scathing remarks about the highly anticipated showdown between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, a five-round main event streaming live on Netflix from Los Angeles' Intuit Dome. But when Strickland reached out for complimentary seats, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian wasn't having it.

"I got a request today from Sean Strickland," Bidarian told MMA Junkie during open workouts. "I've got to talk to Ronda because he was very derogatory about Ronda and Gina—disrespectful, saying inappropriate things. While we'd love to have him as a UFC champion, and I think he puts on a tremendous act, you can't disrespect the headliners and then call for free tickets."

Strickland's longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, attempted to smooth things over, explaining that the middleweight champ wanted to support his Xtreme Couture training partner Francis Ngannou, who faces fellow UFC veteran Philipe Lins on the main card Saturday night (May 16) in the "City of Angels."

Rousey, ever the competitor, took the high road with a sly grin: "Sure, yeah, he can come. I'm glad that he has to go through me now. I feel very cool about that. But yeah, sure, come on over. We can convert anyone."

The timing adds another layer of irony: Strickland is fresh off his victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in Newark, just days ago. The outspoken champion has since attributed his pre-fight trash talk—which ruffled more than a few feathers—to the demands of promotional hype, claiming it was all in an effort to "sell the fight." Critics, however, wonder if it's just the ramblings of a punch-drunk middleweight.

Whether Strickland ultimately scores a seat remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: in the world of combat sports, words have consequences—and sometimes, they come with a price tag.