Sean Strickland Says UFC Forced Him Into New Contract Before Title Fight
The middleweight champion says he had no leverage when the UFC handed him a new deal before UFC 328.
Sean Strickland signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC ahead of his title shot against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May, and he is not happy about how it went down.
Responding to a fan on X who asked why he signed the contract if the terms were bad, Strickland wrote: "Sign this, or we will not do this lol. They act like you have any power in this sport."
The contract details were first reported by journalist Mike Bohn, who cited the six-fight figure. A separate report from Championship Rounds pushed back on rumors of a $400K/$400K deal, claiming Strickland earned over $1 million for the Chimaev fight. Strickland himself has not confirmed the exact terms.
Strickland went on to win the middleweight title by split decision over Chimaev in Newark, New Jersey. He had earned the shot with a knockout of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston earlier this year.
The new champion is expected to make his first defense against Nassourdine Imavov in a rematch. Imavov recently confronted Strickland at the UFC Performance Institute and has offered to put $500,000 of his own money on the line for the fight.
Strickland has been vocal about the economics of MMA, saying his body is breaking down, his heart is no longer in the sport, and that boxing pays more for less punishment. His comments add to a growing conversation about UFC fighter pay that has only intensified as the promotion posts record revenues.
This is the part where the UFC expects you to be grateful. You just won the belt, you should be thrilled, right? But Strickland is telling you exactly how the sausage gets made: sign this deal or you do not fight for the title. That is not a negotiation. That is a hostage situation with a pen.
I have said it before and I will say it again. The UFC prints money. Record gates, record pay-per-view numbers, a $76 billion sale not that long ago. And the guy who just won their middleweight championship is telling you he had zero leverage. Think about that.
Strickland is not the most sympathetic figure in the sport, but he is being honest here. The UFC knows fighters have a small window. They know you are not going to walk away from a title shot over contract terms. And they use that against you every single time. If a champion cannot negotiate, what chance does anyone else have?
