UFC middleweight belt-holder Sean Strickland dreams of greener pastures as divide in perceived fight
All it takes is for a UFC champion to start thinking out loud on his X feed for the oddsmakers to get to work. If you haven't seen it, Sean Strickland began posting on Wednesday that he was dissatisfied with the money a UFC champion (like him) makes, while fantasizing about taking on Jake Paul in the far more lucrative confines of a boxing ring.
Well, it went from Strickland's mouth to God's ears, as they say.
By Wednesday night, one sportsbook had Paul listed as a -170 favorite to beat the UFC's most marketable former skinhead (who opened at +140). Suddenly everyone was imagining Strickland wearing extra padding in his gloves.
Of course, Strickland's sudden moment of satori is based more on frustration. Strickland, who upset Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 back in May to reclaim the middleweight title, doesn't like the numbers being bandied about for his first title defense (presumably against Nassourdine Imavov). It doesn't help that he is comparing his worth against a cackling Brinks truck like Conor McGregor, who — as the exception to every UFC rule — has discouraged more fighters over the years than WADA.
"I gotta be honest unless things change with the UFC Im kinda over it," Strickland posted, so broke that he can't even afford punctuation. "McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 second and they dont want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205 knocking out my contract and scrapping with @jakepaul."
To help clarify things, Strickland posted a follow-up 18 minutes later.
"Its just hard McGregor 30 million Some lame boxer 15 million The thought of just giving up my belt going to 205 and speed running my contract to fight Jake and make what these guys are making sounds pretty damn appealing."
Why wouldn't it? Mike Perry fought Paul back in 2024 and made in the vicinity of a cool million after the DAZN pay-per-view percentages were piled onto his $600,000 purse. Nate Diaz, who was never a UFC champion, earned substantially more than Perry. As in, many times more. Back in the day, even Ben Askren — the first mixed proselyte that Paul urged toward the light — realized the seven-figure mark, and he achieved that just months after hip replacement surgery.
None of the aforementioned names was ever a UFC champion. And certainly, none was an active UFC champion, which is why Strickland's flirtations with the enemy are a little more jarring (UFC matchmakers might use the word galling). It can be said that Strickland, whether his hoplophilic, misogynistic, homophobic and especially sexist rants bother you, is a top five draw in the UFC at the moment in terms of star power.
Polarizing in today's world, when unyielding and cocksure, is often shorthand for "ka-ching."
And Strickland posts a lot of things. Too many to keep up with or be offended by. Sometimes he's more sincere than others. It's not a bad negotiation tactic to post a "why even bother?" message about the pay when you feel disrespected, and right now it just happens to be somewhat fashionable to call out the UFC for being cheap. Paulo Costa has been vocal in the recent weeks about his own contract, and fighters like Justin Gaethje and Sean O'Malley have made mention of the discrepancy in purse money between boxing and the UFC.
Still, for a champion to grumble that the grass is greener on the other side before his next title defense is telling. MVP MMA's entire June foray on Netflix was a subtweet to the UFC over fighter pay, which is why Paul — who is for so many MMA fighters a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow — humored Strickland as a matter of policy.
"Sean Strickland I see your texts but are you out of contract?" he answered on X. "Tell your 'promoter' to call MVP."
Here's guessing MVP will receive no such call.
Yet at a time when the UFC's belts are losing meaning with so many non-lineal, disputed and interim champions masquerading with titles, it's a little … let's say, red-flaggish … to see the rare lineal champion pondering his way out. Doing away with a title and moving up to 205 pounds just to "speed run" through what's left of the contract? This feels like an inmate volunteering for extra duties to get out a little early on good behavior.
With Zuffa Boxing now a very visible thing in the MMA world, and ("some lame boxer") Conor Benn's $15 million deal that darkened the skies over the UFC roster like an eclipse, it seems that fighters are examining their worth with a little more care. They get to reflecting. And comparing. And making it clear that there are growing resentments in what they're seeing.
In Strickland's case, it runs a little deeper, too.
He watched his Xtreme Couture gym-mate Francis Ngannou trade glove sizes to realize more money in the twilight of his own career. Ngannou was the heavyweight champion at 36 years old when he battled his way out of the UFC through a contract dispute, leading to a near eight-figure payday against Tyson Fury in the boxing ring. The new mats and equipment Strickland enjoyed at Couture were courtesy of Ngannou's segue to the sweet science.
Strickland is currently 35; he turns 36 in February. If he's going to get paid, now is the time. As a two-time champion who happens to be one of the more popular/infamous belt-holders at the moment, he has as much leverage as he might ever get. Jake Paul is a pipe dream. And unless you're jonesing for the circus, nobody should want to see that fight, anyway.
Not that it really matters.
What Strickland is asking for isn't about segueing out. It's about feeling valued where he is, and these posts? They're just Strickland's way of doing business, in hopes that the UFC will stop being so tightfisted in how it conducts its own.