Sean Strickland shared honest thoughts about pay for fighters in the UFC, criticizing the pay scale as a predatory practice that the fighters have no control over.
Speaking with Complex, Strickland was asked about the promotion's decision to increase post-fight bonus awards from $50,000 to $100,000 -- plus $25,000 for finishes.
Strickland explained that while it looks like the UFC fighters are being paid more under the new Paramount deal, that isn't exactly the case.
"The UFC is the most, as far as the pay scale, there is no — you compare it to any other sporting event, the UFC is the most f***** up,” Strickland said. "If you compare it to like pay versus athletes versus what they’re making, there is no argument there. It’s not fair, it’s predatory. There is no argument there.
"Now we’re a bunch of f****** idiots who take our clothes off and go fight for f****** shorten our lives for this. So like, do we deserve better? I don’t f****** know. I’m just telling you that there is no argument here that the UFC is not predatory."
It's more common knowledge these days that the revenue share for UFC fighters is lackluster compared to athletes in other sports leagues. While athletes from leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB see around a 45-50 percent share of revenue, the UFC fighters -- who have no collective bargaining agreement with the promotion -- see only about 13-20 percent.
That figure comes courtesy of an antitrust lawsuit -- Le v. Zuffa -- against the UFC that was settled in 2025. Another antitrust lawsuit -- Johnson v. Zuffa -- regarding the UFC's business practices is still ongoing.
Ronda Rousey echoed similar sentiments in a recent interview, claiming TKO's focus on "cost-effective" fights played into why MVP Promotions, and not the UFC, are hosting her fight with Gina Carano in May. TKO formed in 2023 as part of a business merger between the UFC and WWE.
Strickland added that it doesn't matter if fighters do or don't speak out about the pay issue -- because there aren't any hints of the pay for fighters changing anytime soon. In fact, Strickland stated fighters might be better off working corporate jobs than spending all their time training and competing in the Octagon.
"...What are they signing guys [for]? 10 and 10? How much is f****** rent in Vegas? It’s like $2,000, $1,600, $1,400?" Strickland said. "So it's like, once you pay your managers, your taxes, how the f*** you supposed to live on that? 'Well, you could fight four times a year.' Okay, so you go 3-1. Like, no, you’ll make more money at f****** Walmart, dude. But it’s what the UFC wants, man. It’s all just f****** corporate.
"Why do I want to go compete with a Brazilian where he could go make money and live pretty nicely, to where you can’t do that in America? Why would anybody want that? It doesn’t make sense."
It's been noted that Kayla Harrison is the only American UFC undisputed champion, with Justin Gaethje holding an interim title and Max Holloway holding the BMF belt.
Strickland hinted this might be something we see for good if the pay structure does not undergo a major overhaul.
"You say no to a fight. Well, guess what? They’re go find some f****** guy in some f****** sandpit and they’ll do it for f****** five and five," Strickland said. "This is why you're slowly gonna see the American roster die because it's outsourced by people..."
Strickland faces Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Houston.