Sean Strickland expresses frustration over UFC earnings, targets Dana White

Sean Strickland is set to face Paulo Costa this Saturday at UFC 302. He recently launched a scathing critique of UFC fighters’ pay, taking aim at UFC president Dana White and other company executives. He spoke about his purse offer for UFC 302 on X and asked fans, “Out of curiosity…what do you guys think I was offered to fight Costa on 7 weeks notice? Base contract…” 

To this, one of the fans replied 500k and Sean responded with ‘way less lol.’ Another fan shared his assumption in the guessing game and gave a detailed answer, writing, ‘$200 show, $200 win and $10K fight week incentive.” To this Strickland responded, ‘Close but less lol.’

Strickland lashed out at UFC 

In an interview with Daniel Cormier, Strickland expressed his frustration with his UFC earnings and targeted Dana White and the UFC’s top brass. “Tarzan” stated that the UFC doesn’t do the right thing for most of its roster. They don’t do the right thing unless you hold them at gunpoint. He later admitted that it’s just business nowadays, claiming that all big companies take advantage of their workers. 

Strickland believes fighters deserve larger pay 

This outburst comes as Strickland is preparing for his middleweight clash against Costa on June 7. He is looking to bounce back from the split decision loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 and get back into the title race. Former UFC champion’s comments have fueled the ongoing debate over fighter compensation in the UFC. Despite reportedly earning a base pay of $500,00 for his previous bout against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, with the potential to earn up to $1 million through pay-per-view, Sean Strickland believes that fighters deserve a bigger share of the promotion’s venue. 

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Fighters pay in the UFC has been a controversial issue for several years, with many athletes advocating for increased compensation. Strickland has always been outspoken on the issue and continues to use his social media platform to raise awareness and demand for change. He has won three of his last five fights, including notable wins over notable opponents like Nassourdine Imavov and Israel Adesanya. Strickland is a prominent figure in the middleweight division who boasts a professional MMA record of 28 wins and 6 losses.