Sean Strickland posted a series of messages on X on Wednesday weighing whether to give up his UFC middleweight title and move up to light heavyweight. The champion, who has not fought since beating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May 2026, says his pay does not match that of the sport’s biggest commercial stars, and he is now floating a crossover fight with Jake Paul as an alternative.
A frustrated outburst on social media
In his October 7 posts, Sean Strickland wrote: “I gotta be honest, unless things change with the UFC I’m kinda over it.” He has not appeared on any UFC card scheduled for the rest of 2026, more than four months after winning the title by split decision over Khamzat Chimaev. His extended absence from the calendar has fueled questions about the state of his relationship with the promotion, at a time when several current champions have pushed back publicly over how event revenue gets split with fighters.
The Conor McGregor comparison
Sean Strickland compared his own pay to Conor McGregor‘s, which he estimated at 30 million dollars for a 30 second fight. He wrote that the UFC will not pay its active champions a fraction of that amount, and also referenced a boxer earning 15 million dollars for one night of work, without naming him directly. Strickland did not confirm what he currently earns, though the outlet West Till Death reported, without official confirmation, that he made roughly 1.08 million dollars for his last fight. The gap he is pointing to reflects a broader argument that has followed the sport for years, over how much of event revenue reaches working champions compared with the handful of crossover names who command boxing level paydays.
A move to 205 pounds and a Jake Paul fight
Sean Strickland raised the idea of moving up to 205 pounds (93 kilograms), the light heavyweight division, while ending his UFC contract as fast as possible. His stated target is boxer and content creator Jake Paul. He wrote: “Contemplating just going to 205, knocking out my contract and scrapping with Jake Paul. That sounds fun.” In a follow up post, he added he was weighing “just giving up my belt, going to 205, and speed running my contract to fight Jake.” Paul responded on the same platform: “If you want your fair share, call MVP when you are free,” referring to Most Valuable Promotions, his own management and promotional company. Neither side has mentioned a date or any agreement beyond the public exchange, and no boxing or crossover promotion has confirmed talks for such a fight.
A title shot against Nassourdine Imavov in limbo
According to several American outlets, Sean Strickland turned down a title defense against France’s Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 over a pay offer he considered too low. The UFC has since announced that the same card, set for December 12, 2026, in Las Vegas, will now be headlined by a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes. On October 4, Imavov offered to put 500,000 dollars of his own money on the line if Strickland beat him in a fight set for January 2027, and asked the UFC to strip Strickland of the title if he turned the fight down. Imavov, unbeaten across his last several middleweight outings, is still waiting on an official decision from the promotion on whether that fight will happen at all this cycle.
No response yet from the UFC
Neither Dana White nor the UFC has publicly addressed Strickland’s comments about his pay or his future in the middleweight division. The situation remains unresolved two months out from UFC 335, with the champion’s absence leaving the division’s early 2027 plans uncertain for fans on both sides of the Atlantic who had expected a Strickland-Imavov announcement by now. The expected Strickland versus Imavov fight, floated for January, has not been made official by the promotion, which also has not commented on a possible move to light heavyweight or an early contract exit for its champion.
For the latest on where the division stands, the UFC rankings and the UFC schedule for 2026 are worth checking as this situation develops.
