Sean Strickland isn’t a big fan of the influx of international talent in the UFC. After all, only three American fighters are champions in the US-based promotion out of the thirteen divisions in the UFC. But what is the reason behind the lack of representation of Americans in the UFC? Well, according to Strickland, the entire blame is on head honcho Dana White.

In an appearance on JRE, Strickland drew comparisons between the UFC and the NFL. The former middleweight champion claimed that the reason football rules the American sports landscape is that the NFL invests a lot of money in their players, providing them with the motivation to stay at the top of their game to keep on getting better paychecks. However, the UFC underpays its fighters, as per ‘Tarzan.’

While $10,000 might be a lot for a fighter from Brazil or Dagestan, an American would find it nearly impossible to survive on that money. This is the reason why many American fighters decide not to pursue the sport as a means of full-time living. “They’re (UFC) signing guys at 10k and 10k. 10k and 10k on four fights, man. Three fights, you get cut. So they sign these Brazilians, these Daggies. They go home with their 20k, and they’re living life good.”, Strickland said to Joe Rogan.

Sean Strickland further added, “How do you live on 20k (in America)? And I think that’s also a big reason why we’re seeing less Americans. These are import fighters, and they go back home to Dagestan, Brazil, and they live on their, let’s just say they make s–t money; they’re happy. If there was NFL money in the UFC, we would dominate the UFC. There would not be one foreign champion.”

Well, it looks like Strickland has some firm opinions on the matter. But it truly is surprising to see that the US-based premier MMA promotion of the world actually falls short when it comes to having American champions. This is definitely something that Dana White should work on since this isn’t the only time he has come under scrutiny for underpaying his fighters. These statements by ‘Tarzan’ speak to the broader conversation that fighters have been raising since long before Strickland joined the UFC, and that’s with regards to fighter pay.

Not just Sean Strickland, but many have called out Dana White for fighter pay

Since time immemorial, one of the major topics of discussion about the UFC has been the way it financially compensates its fighters. Several people have called out head honcho Dana White for paying his fighters a very small portion of the massive revenue they make. As a result, several fighters have openly criticized the promotion, demanding equal compensation, with some even trying to form a union for MMA fighters (just like boxing) over the years.

During an interview with CBS Sports, UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes openly demanded that White pay more money to his fighters. “We do deserve more money. I’m not even trying to be greedy.”, said ‘Razor’. He further revealed that UFC stars, such as Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal, shouldn’t have to keep negotiating with the promotion, and should instead get a big paycheck for their superstar statuses. “We should be able to live the lives of other professional athletes in hockey, baseball, the NFL, and the NBA. I’m not saying we need to make $20 million a fight, but top guys like Jon Jones, Jorge, McGregor, and those other top guys, they should be making a minimum of $5 million per fight.” 

It isn’t just Blaydes but also boxers such as Jake Paul who have called out the head honcho for the small amount of money the boss is handing out. Sean Strickland and Curtis Blaydes do make sense from a fighter’s perspective, especially given how big the UFC has become.

Will the UFC see more American champions if the promotion pays fighters from its home soil more money? Do you think UFC stars should be paid big money like NFL or NHL athletes? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.