Sean Strickland resists. will anyone join him? |📷: Getty/UFC
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For the past week or so, Sean Strickland has been the talk of the mixed martial arts world. That’s hardly unusual, but the theme caught some off guard. Don’t beat up the “tough guys” who walk down the street to their gym. Not about the “snow” that is “part of the problem.” This time he is talking about the fighter’s salary and vowing to fight again until the contract dispute is resolved. Perhaps not surprisingly, either. But the criticism of The Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter’s overall pay — not just his pay — has some typical detractors agreeing with him.
Why does the UFC need more fighter pay reform than Sean Strickland’s contract dispute?
While I’m sure Strickland has friends and training partners who would like to see a pay bump, I suspect the broader criticism of him, including the UFC’s tendency to recognize their fighters around the prime time, is also about getting the public behind him. After all, plenty of fans already believed in UFC fighters. Compensation compared to salaries in major teamsports gives him an argument that’s easy to sell. Unlike salaried players, UFC fighters usually earn a fight purse contract when they compete.
Take the follies. The average MLB salary was around $5.34 million at the start of the 2026 season. Spread over a 162-game schedule, that works out to roughly $33,000 per team game, whether players are on the field that day or not. That calculation isn’t a perfect comparison to the fighter’s wallet: Ford doesn’t account for differences in schedules, taxes, or compensation structures. But it helps explain why Strickland didn’t look too far ahead to the fans who would become fans after him.
As much as I hate to bring bad news, I don’t think the Strickland fighters are making a difference at all. I believe he has a hump. But the big roster? Better chance of my fat old ass becoming UFCchampion.
We’ve seen this before. Remember when the monopoly lawsuits against the UFC revealed how much of its revenue went to the fighters? Historical figures revealed in the accident put their share at about 15% to 22% in most years. By comparison, the NFL’s share of players is about 48%, although the ratio differs between sports. You would think that unarmed fighters would have stronger detections. The $375 million lawsuit brought more than a thousand current and former fighters who competed during that period. That’s the thing. But it did not produce a collective bargaining agreement for the active roster, and I did not see an impact from the fighters running to the plaintiff.
What about the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association, introduced in 2016 with Georges St.Pierre and former Warrior executive Bjorn Rebney involved? One of the sport’s most popular fighters was backed by someone who understood the business of running a promotion. Thegoals included a percentage of revenue share and a collective bargaining agreement. Other notable fighters involved included Donald Cerrone, TJDillashaw, Tim Kennedyand CainVelasquez. What finally came of it? There is no common agreement. That effort had a group of prominent fighters behind it, not just one fighter like Strickland.
Some fighters have received major benefits since the performance of the ruler. After more than a decade with the standard $50,000 postfight prize money, the UFC increased its Fight Night Performance to $100,000 this year. Fighters who finish their opponents do not receive one of the prizes but receive a $25,000. That participation does not constitute the type of trading found in other major sports. But they can make a difference in the lives of those who fight – and I suspect there is an urgent need to organize some.
I don’t see the warriors getting a share of the revenue without a unified demand. This requires effective collective coordination and greater sacrifices from those concerned. It requires even more solidarity than we’ve seen so far, which is harder to build in a single game. Fighters often form trainers and bonds when they compete with each other, but it’s not the same as sharing a locker room and a schedule over time. It does not provide a simple history. Baseball players formed their modern union in the1950s and hired Marvin Miller in 1966, beginning its transformation into a productive labor union. The NBA players formed their association in 1954, eight years after its roots in the Basketball Association of America, but significant recognition took another decade.
Many new people think Strickland is stupid. Moreover, he says some fatuous things. But I think this is an excellent plan of his. He seems to understand how unlikely it is for the fighters to stick together now. Too many people seem happy to simply get paid to fight and carry the UFC fighter’s title. I guess the UFC understands that too. Public criticism may derail a promotion, but Strickland doesn’t dismiss the unusual complaint. In the meantime, it can help to find someone who “isn’t right for him”. If there’s enough fanfare behind picking him up, maybe he’ll sing that impression to renegotiate, even though Dana White says he’ll sign a new contract in May.
I hope I’m wrong. I really I hope I fail. But I suspect that UFC fighters are content with incremental pay to increase their collective effort to win from the draw. So when Strickland talks about the big game to everyone, I think he’s primarily looking for No. 1. When many others seem to be doing the same thing, it is hard to blame him.