Sean Strickland voiced his displeasure with his pay on Wednesday, raising the possibility of dropping his UFC middleweight title, moving up to light heavyweight, and then leaving the promotion to fight Jake Paul.
"I gotta be honest, unless things change with the UFC, I'm kinda over it," Strickland wrote on X. "(Conor) McGregor makes $30 million to fight for 30 (seconds), and they don't want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205, knocking out my contract, and scrapping with (Jake Paul). That sounds fun."
Strickland added that it's "insulting how much McGregor and some lame boxer" earn compared to him.
Its just hard McGregor 30 million Some lame boxer 15 million The thought of just giving up my belt going to 205 and speed running my contract to fight Jake and make what these guys are making sounds pretty damn appealing
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) October 7, 2026
Paul appeared to acknowledge Strickland's remarks, stating, "If you want your fair share, call MVP when you are free."
Strickland hasn't fought since capturing the middleweight title at UFC 328, beating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision in May. Strickland isn't scheduled to fight on any remaining 2026 UFC events, and his absence is rumored to stem from a contractual dispute.
