Champion Sean Strickland Slams UFC with Criticism

Sean Strickland is warning fighters against joining the UFC. The American has never shied away from speaking his mind, even when it might land him in hot water with his employer.

In recent years, the UFC Middleweight Champion has perhaps become more known for his outspoken comments outside the octagon than his performances within it. As a candid and controversial figure in an environment full of them, Strickland is one of the few top-tier fighters also known for his criticism of UFC fighter pay. On Monday, the middleweight champion revealed in an interview just how bad things can be in the world's largest MMA organization.

“When you’re a fighter, you’re so damn poor,” Strickland stated. “Even in the UFC. Guys in the UFC sign contracts for 10 and 10, [$10,000] to show, [$10,000] to win, so $20,000 total. Then you pay your manager, you pay taxes; if you lose, you only get about eight, seven thousand.”

Fighter pay in the UFC has been a persistent issue for years, exacerbated by the revelation that fighters earn approximately 20 percent of revenues compared to the nearly 50/50 split in other major sports leagues.

Strickland also highlighted other ways the UFC makes life difficult for fighters under its banner, primarily through offering additional incentives for certain fights and then "freezing out" those who refuse to play by their rules.

“It’s so predatory. Keep in mind, you might get a few fights. The UFC loves you to take short-notice fights,” Strickland said. “If the UFC calls you and says, ‘Hey, do you want to take a fight on five days’ notice?’ they’ll give you maybe an extra 30, 40, 50 thousand dollars. The UFC loves that stuff. Short-notice fights get the biggest pay bumps.”

“There’s a matchmaker named Sean Shelby. Everybody hates working with him. I’m his friend, but he was my matchmaker at welterweight. Man, he was such a damn jerk. I’m saying this as a friend, Sean. You’re a good guy, but everybody hates you. That man is so damn brutal. You might have a boring fight or something, and that guy will bench you for about eight months. Or you can say, ‘Hey, Sean, I want a fight.’ He’ll call you two weeks before a match saying, ‘Hey, we have a fight for you.’ Man, two weeks. Can’t you give me a little more damn notice? And if you say ‘no,’ he’ll bench you. Yeah, the UFC is brutal. That’s why the UFC attracts damn degenerates. For a lot of guys, where they come from, 10 and 10 is still a lot of damn money. But yeah, I’d tell everyone: ‘Don’t join the UFC.’”