UFC champion Sean Strickland tends to speak his mind whenever and wherever he pleases, but it’s safe to say nobody expected his latest outburst.
On Wednesday, the two-time UFC middleweight champion responded to a Paramount+ ad for the latest Avatar cartoon on the streaming platform, admitting he’s upset about how much he’s being paid by the company.
“Alright guys I gotta be honest.. I’m having a slight crash out over what you paid (Conor) McGreggor (sic)…… There is a slight chance #IGBBMN (It’s Going To Be Bad).”
Strickland, who defeated Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship, then went after the MMA organization in a series of posts, stating he felt vastly underpaid compared to other stars.
“I gotta be honest unless things change with the UFC, I’m kinda over it,” he wrote on X.
“McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds and they don’t want to pay us a fraction of it.
“Contemplating just going to 205 (pounds) knocking out my contract and scrapping with Jake Paul.”
Strickland, who has a professional MMA record of 31-7, also cited figures for what other fighters have earned and floated the idea of “speed running” his contract to get out of the UFC. However, it’s unclear how many fights he has remaining on his deal.
“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,” he wrote.
What did Jake Paul say?
Paul, the popular YouTuber-turned-boxer, reached out to Strickland online, potentially to open a dialogue.
“Sean Strickland I see your texts but are you out of contract?” Paul wrote. “Tell your ‘promoter’ to call MVP,” referring to Most Valuable Promotions, the company the influencer co-founded.
Strickland immediately got back to Paul, but it was clear some issues would need to be ironed out before a potential boxing match could happen.
“I haven’t decided if I want to nuke my contract but I gotta say man putting hands on you sounds way better than the UFC right now,” he replied.
Has Strickland added more fuel to the fire?
On Thursday, Strickland took his fight to Instagram, posting a video in which he ranted about the UFC and how it treats its fighters.
“I’m gonna say the quiet part out loud that nobody says … the (UFC) just doesn’t care anymore. They don’t pay you enough money to walk away,” he said.
“The UFC builds a legacy, they don’t pay you enough so you have to come back and ruin your legacy.
“I want to fight. I want to box, I want to go win a boxing title. We’re trying to work that out, but if the UFC says ‘we’re not gonna do that’, well I’m gonna stick and move … collect my cheque and move on.”
He also responded to critics who believe he’s looking to bail on MMA because of its intense training demands.
Sharing images of himself having fluid drained from his knee, Strickland admitted his heart is no longer in MMA.
“Y’all think I’m just frustrated because my body is crashing because MMA training is brutal. My heart just isn’t in MMA anymore. Groin tear, AC joint separation,” he wrote.
“I just don’t think my heart is in MMA anymore. Boxing there is more money and its significantly easier.”