Dana White isn’t losing sleep over Sean Strickland’s latest complaints.
The UFC CEO addressed the middleweight champion’s online criticism of his pay after Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas. White told reporters that he hasn’t spoken to Strickland directly.
No, I haven’t (spoken to him) personally. I’ve just heard through social media and stuff, but when isn’t Sean Strickland upset about something or doesn’t have something to say? Sean Strickland just signed a new contract in May.
White said the figure Strickland has put out is wrong.
He just signed a new deal. Four months ago, five months ago, he just signed a new deal. From what I hear, from the number he’s putting out there, it’s not true. The number that he claimed is not true.
If we were in a situation where he’d been under the same contract for a year, two years… He just signed a contract in May. He got a whole new deal in May. It is what it is.
Strickland (31-7) hasn’t fought since beating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 in May to win the title for a second time. He was left off the UFC’s end-of-year schedule, and a fight with Nassourdine Imavov never came together.
Strickland has floated vacating his title and leaving MMA. He argued the UFC doesn’t pay champions enough to walk away.
The UFC builds a legacy. They keep it right here, but they build a legacy, and they don’t pay you enough. So you have to come back and ruin your legacy. I don’t want to do that, man.
