Sean
Strickland has slammed fighter compensation in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Strickland recently detailed the financial plight of newly signed
UFC fighters. The outspoken reigning middleweight champion also hit
out at a UFC matchmaker and some of the promotion’s practices that
have rubbed him the wrong way.
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UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland says aspiring
fighters should understand the financial challenges of MMA
During a recent appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Strickland
offered a blunt assessment of the life of the average UFC athlete,
arguing that entry-level contracts and the financial realities of
competing in the Octagon leave many fighters struggling to make
ends meet despite reaching MMA’s biggest stage.
“When you’re a fighter, you’re so f*cking poor,” Strickland said.
“Even in the UFC. UFC guys, they’re signing guys at like, 10 and
10, [$10,000] to show, [$10,000] to win, $20 grand. So, then you
pay off your manager, you pay taxes; if you lose, you only get like
eight, seven grand.”
According to Strickland, the financial challenges become even more
severe when injuries or inactivity enter the equation. While he
acknowledged that the UFC provides life-changing opportunities for
many international fighters, he described the promotion’s pay
structure as “predatory,” particularly for athletes based in the
United States.
Strickland also criticized the UFC’s matchmaking process, claiming
fighters often feel pressured to accept short-notice bouts because
declining them can lead to lengthy layoffs. He then singled out
longtime UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, saying fighters often fear
turning down opportunities because of the possibility of being
sidelined for months.
“This guy [Shelby] is so f*cking brutal,” Strickland added. “You
could have a boring fight or something, and this mother*cker will
bench you for like eight months. Or you could say, ‘Hey Sean, I
want a fight.’ He’ll call you two weeks out from a fight… And if
you say no, he’ll bench your ass. Yeah, the UFC is f*cking
brutal.”
Strickland even suggested he’d discourage aspiring fighters from
pursuing a UFC career, though he stopped short of dismissing the
opportunities the organization has provided him. Despite his
criticism, Strickland acknowledged the opportunities the UFC has
provided.
“As much as I hate the UFC and I knock on them, they give people
opportunity you’d never have,” Strickland concluded. “I’d never
have opportunity.”