Sean Strickland recently shed light on why the UFC restrained him from stepping into the ring with ‘The Problem Child.’
In a week filled with verbal skirmishes involving Jake Paul, Machine Gun Kelly, and Bryce Hall, Strickland found himself at the center of a storm. The YouTuber-turned-boxer not only labeled Strickland as a bully but also extended a million-dollar challenge to the former UFC middleweight champion, proposing a showdown in Puerto Rico.
In case you haven’t guessed by now, Strickland isn’t scared to compete against anybody under any conditions. As a result, the 32-year-old expressed interest in taking Paul up on his offer. However, a significant obstacle stood in his way – his UFC contract.
Strickland released a YouTube video dissecting his tumultuous week. In the video, he revealed the UFC’s denial of his request to take on Jake Paul. He recounted his conversation with Hunter Campbell, a key figure in the UFC hierarchy.
Strickland stated: “So, Jake Paul offered me a million dollars knowing that it is impossible for me to [fight him]. I actually talked to Hunter [Campbell]. I was like, ‘Hunter, I will fight this man. You let Conor McGregor fight [Floyd] Mayweather. This is an easier fight, easier money. Can I do that?’ Hunter explained to me, Hunter is like the left hand or right hand of Dana [White], they’re equal, they’re d*mn close, and Hunter explained to me that he sells no fights.”
Strickland continued: “When they have fights, they give away tickets, he doesn’t make money. His target audience is children and they don’t buy pay-per-views. So, a little depressing because I thought to myself, you know what, I’ll take a payday beating up this f*cking man. That sounds easy enough.”
Despite the setback, Strickland isn’t throwing in the towel on facing Jake Paul. Even if it means a camera-less showdown, he extended an invitation to ‘The Problem Child’ to meet him in Las Vegas.
In his YouTube video, Strickland addressed Paul directly. He proposed a face-to-face meeting in Vegas, free of charge and without the need for a livestream.
Strickland said: “Jake Paul is an influencer, he influences, he sells to children, children don’t buy pay-per-views. Get some adults to follow you and then we will fight. So, here’s the thing Jake Paul, you clearly know I can’t fight you. We know this, the UFC knows this, we all know this that you and me can’t fight.”
“What we can do, you can get in your fancy plane, you can fly your a*s to Vegas, and we could have a little powwow. You know as well as I know what happens in that. I’ll do it for free, I don’t need a check, I don’t need to live stream it. I will do it for free sir.”
As the dust settles, Strickland’s future inside the Octagon remains uncertain. Dethroned of his UFC middleweight title on January 20 after a split-decision loss to Dricus du Plessis, Strickland faces an unclear path. While Strickland is calling for a rematch, the UFC might be steering in a different direction for Du Plessis’ first title defense.