In the lead-up to his highly anticipated UFC 302 co-main event against Paulo Costa this Saturday, Sean Strickland has voiced his dissatisfaction with the UFC regarding fighter compensation.
Sean Strickland’s most recent bout was in January at UFC 297, where he narrowly lost his middleweight title in a close decision to Dricus Du Plessis. Since then, the outspoken Strickland has been pushing for an immediate rematch, but his efforts have been unsuccessful.
Instead, the UFC has paired the 33-year-old Strickland with the dynamic striker Paulo Costa, who himself is coming off a defeat to Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February. Despite the excitement surrounding his upcoming fight, Strickland remains frustrated by his inability to secure a title rematch and has been vocal about his grievances with the UFC, particularly regarding how fighters are compensated.
Sean Strickland Criticizes UFC Fighter Pay
In a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Strickland didn’t hold back his criticism of the organization. “The UFC doesn’t do the right things, it doesn’t f****** do the right things, it doesn’t do the right things for most its roster,” he stated bluntly.
Strickland highlighted the disparity between what the UFC executives earn compared to the fighters. “If you go and look at what these f****, the guys that run the UFC what they’re making (compared) to what (fighters) get paid, it’s f****** s*** dude. The UFC does not do the f****** right things and unless you hold them at gunpoint, they’re not going to do it,” he asserted.
While Strickland’s frustrations are directed at his employer, he acknowledges that this issue isn’t unique to the UFC. He pointed out that many large corporations tend to exploit their workers. “But that’s all businesses these days, all these f****** corporations are leeches dude, that’s just how it works man, look at the working man gap. Again, my gap is a lot smaller than your guys’ gap, but that’s just how it works, these corporations just f****** suck,” he added.
Is It Fair?
Strickland’s comments come at a time when fighter pay and treatment within the UFC have been hot topics of discussion. Many fighters have voiced similar concerns, and Strickland’s remarks add to the growing discourse on how the promotion compensates its athletes.
What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland’s comments? Share your opinions in the comments below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
