UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal shared his thoughts on UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s pay dilemma with the company.
Strickland has gone public with his UFC pay dispute, as he wants to get a raise to fight Nassourdine Imavov in his next fight. Yet, to this point, the UFC has not given Strickland what he wants, leading to a public standoff between the promotion and the fighter, with Strickland threatening to leave the UFC to box.
Masvidal, who has both fought in the UFC and boxed, is someone who knows what it takes to get paid in combat sports, and he shared his thoughts about Strickland’s pay dispute in a recent interview with Home of Fight.
“We’re at a good place, getting 1.3 billion dollars a year, why can you not pay this guy?
Pay these guys more, UFC. It shouldn’t even be an option to go box Jake f*cking Paul.”
🎥: @Home_of_Fight /
Jorge Masvidal Comments on Sean Strickland’s UFC Pay Dispute
In the interview, Masvidal shared his comments on Strickland’s pay dispute, noting how much money the UFC is making these days.
“It hurts me to hear that, truly. Goodness, we’re at a good place. We’re getting $1.3 billion a year. Why can you not pay this guy? He’s not maybe the biggest star in the company, but he’s top three. Sean is talked about everywhere, and maybe there’s somebody that gets a wider audience, but I don’t think even those guys have the cultlike following that Sean has,” Masvidal said (via BJPenn.com).
“Super controversial guy. Super fun to watch. Happens to be the current world champion. Why is he complaining about pay? I’m always gonna be for the fighter’s side, and pay these guys more, UFC. I don’t wanna hear this guy complaining. It shouldn’t even be an option for him to go box Jake (expletive) Paul.”
Sean Strickland Opting to Wait Out the UFC
Right now, it appears that Strickland is opting to wait out the UFC and hope that the company ends up giving what he wants, although it’s unclear at this point if this is a wise strategy.
As long as the UFC keeps offering Strickland fights, his contract will continue to toll. That being said, hopefully the two sides can agree to a new deal, and he can get back into the cage.
Jorge Masvidal Reacts to Sean Strickland’s UFC Pay Dilemma