Strickland Blasts UFC Matchmaker Sean Shelby Over Pay

Sean Strickland said UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby punishes fighters who turn down last-minute bouts and called the promotion's entry-level pay structure predatory.

The middleweight champion told the Shawn Ryan Show on Monday that the UFC routinely contacts fighters with five-day-notice opportunities and benches those who decline, per MMA Fighting. "This guy is so fucking brutal," Strickland said of Shelby. "You could have a boring fight or something, and this motherfucker will bench you for like eight months."

Strickland On UFC Pay And Foreign Fighters

Strickland described the standard UFC entry contract as exploitative for American fighters. Newcomers sign for ten thousand to show and ten thousand to win, he said, leaving barely enough after management fees and taxes to cover rent. "Now, say you go get injured or get locked out. The UFC is fucking brutal," he said. "This is why you see a lot of foreigners excel, because guys in Brazil that live in the fucking favelas, $10 grand to them, that's fucking life-changing."

The two-time champion said short-notice fights carry the biggest pay bumps — thirty to fifty thousand — but warned against the risk. He acknowledged making good money now but noted only top fighters earn well. "I would tell anybody, 'Don't join the UFC,'" he said.

Strickland closed by saying the promotion still offers opportunities fighters would not have elsewhere. He faces no scheduled opponent at middleweight.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Sean Strickland trashes UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, calls out UFC’s ‘predatory pay’