Sean Strickland Threatens to Vacate Title Over UFC Pay

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Sean Strickland says he is ready to vacate the UFC middleweight title, move up to light heavyweight and run out his contract rather than keep fighting for what he calls lowball money.

"I gotta be honest: unless things change with the UFC, I'm kind of over it," Strickland wrote on social media. "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."

The outburst comes days after the UFC moved on without him for its final numbered card of the year. Strickland had been in line to defend the 185-pound title against top contender Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the champion himself describing talks as "almost there" before salary became the sticking point that sank the booking.

Why Strickland Is Threatening to Leave the UFC

Strickland's complaint is straightforward: he wants to get paid like a needle-moving champion and feels the promotion is shortchanging him relative to stars in boxing and crossover fights. Walking away from the middleweight strap to fight out his deal at light heavyweight would let him burn through remaining bout obligations without continuing to defend a title he feels is undervalued. Tossing out Jake Paul's name adds a real financial incentive to the threat, since a Strickland-Paul fight would almost certainly outearn a standard title defense whether it ever gets booked in a boxing ring, an MMA cage, or a crossover rules set.

None of this is official business yet. There's no vacated title, no signed Jake Paul bout and no confirmed move to 205 pounds, just a champion publicly applying pressure during a stalled negotiation.

What This Means for the Middleweight Picture

Imavov is now left without his biggest opportunity to date, at least for now, since the UFC 335 slot came together without Strickland on the card. If the impasse drags on, expect the promotion to explore interim title scenarios or alternative opponents for Imavov rather than simply waiting on Strickland to re-sign at his number.

Betting Angle

For bettors, the practical read is that a Strickland title defense isn't walkable right now, so any futures or matchup markets built around a Strickland-Imavov fight should be treated as dead until a new date gets confirmed. If talk of a Jake Paul fight ever turns into an actual contract, expect that line to open as a lopsided favorite for Strickland given the size and experience gap, but that is speculative crossover money talk, not a booked fight. The smarter angle for now is watching how the UFC handles Imavov next. A new opponent or interim title fight announcement would be the signal that the promotion has stopped waiting on Strickland.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Sean Strickland threatening to vacate his UFC title?

Sean Strickland says he is unhappy with his UFC pay and is considering vacating the middleweight title, moving up to light heavyweight and finishing out his contract rather than accept what he views as low pay compared to crossover stars.

Is Sean Strickland still fighting Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335?

No. Sean Strickland was expected to defend the middleweight title against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas, but the fight did not get finalized amid the pay dispute and the UFC moved forward with the card without him.