Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has once again criticized the promotion’s fighter compensation, calling it “predatory” in a pre-fight interview with Complex ahead of his main-event clash against Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night in Houston.
Strickland, set to make his latest Octagon appearance, downplayed the UFC’s recent increase of fight night bonuses from $50,000 to $100,000, arguing it does little to address broader inequities.
“As far as the pay scale, when you compare it to any other sporting event, the UFC is the most f—ed up,” Strickland told Complex, via ESPN. “Athlete pay versus what [the UFC] is making, there is no argument there. It’s not fair. It’s predatory.
“I would just like it to match any other sporting event. Any other sporting event — how much they’re making is what we should get paid. Let’s say the NFL gives 70 percent of its profits — I’m making this up — to their players. The UFC should do the same.”
This echoes Strickland’s prior complaints. Last October, he accused the UFC of underpaying athletes, stating they “f–k athletes, 100 percent. One-hundred percent they f–k athletes,” while highlighting how low pay leads to outsourcing fighters from poorer countries who accept minimal guarantees.
With no collective bargaining in the UFC and fighters negotiating individually, Strickland warned that unfair pay could diminish American talent in MMA as prospects opt for better-compensated sports.
