Sean Strickland’s refusal to fight until his pay dispute with the UFC is resolved has received backing from a fellow middleweight, who believes the champion deserves more money for the risks and sacrifices that come with competing at the highest level of MMA.
The reigning 185-pound champion recently declared that he would neither fight nor sign a contract until his situation with the promotion was figured out.
Now, Joe Pyfer has publicly supported his stance, arguing that fighters deserve a larger share of the money generated by the sport.
During a recent appearance on Tim Welch’s Red Hawk Recap, “Bodybagz” weighed in on Strickland’s compensation dispute with the UFC.
I respect it… you know what your worth is,” Pyfer said. “This isn’t a shot at Hunter [Campbell] or Dana [White]. I think all of us deserve more pay for the sport that we do at the level that we do it.
Pyfer argued that fighters in other major sports earn substantially more, even when compared by their position in the competitive hierarchy.
If you’re number four in any other sport, you’re making millions and we’re not making millions,” he said. “I think Sean made a million, maybe guaranteed or something. I understand it and I think it’s unfair.
He also pointed to the disparity between what UFC fighters reportedly earn and the compensation associated with the promotion’s biggest stars.
They did give Conor (McGregor) $15 million guaranteed, and we’re out here fighting for pennies on the dollar compared to that, and we have to do so much to our bodies, so I support it.
Strickland’s dispute has already affected discussions surrounding his next title defense. Negotiations for a potential matchup with Nassourdine Imavov reportedly encountered compensation issues, leaving the middleweight champion without a scheduled defense of his title.
Imavov has publicly challenged Strickland over the matchup, even offering $500,000 of his own money if the champion beats him and urging the UFC to strip Strickland if he refuses.
The American has also floated the possibility of vacating his title, moving up to light heavyweight to finish his existing contract, and pursuing a lucrative boxing match against Jake Paul afterward.
