Disgruntled Sean Strickland shares the 'quiet part out loud' about UFC
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has publicly criticized the promotion's compensation structure, expressing a desire to pursue boxing. He argues that the current pay model forces fighters to continue competing past their prime, potentially damaging their legacies.
Why it matters
Strickland's comments highlight ongoing tensions regarding athlete compensation and career longevity in professional mixed martial arts.
For the second straight day, the UFC middleweight champion (at least for now) aired out grievances about the promotion and its financial compensation. This time, he shared what he called "the quiet part out loud."
"I fought for the title four times," Strickland said. "I won it twice, beat all the boogeymen in the division. Hell, I fought half the division already. I want to box. I want to go put a f*cking boxing title on my mantle. I deserve it. I don't even do MMA. I just box. I will put hands on any boxer. Jake Paul wants to give me a big, old bag of money to fight him. I'm under contract. Fine, I'll go Zuffa. I'll go beat your cruiserweight champ – easy.
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