Strickland's Talking About Walking Away From the UFC — and Jake Paul Already Answered

LAS VEGAS — The reigning UFC middleweight champion is openly talking about quitting the whole thing. Sean Strickland, 35, took to X on Wednesday in a series of posts that went past the usual fighter-pay grumbling and into something closer to an exit plan: give up the belt, go to 205, run out the contract, and go box Jake Paul for real money.

This is not the first time Strickland has threatened to walk — we covered his first vacate threat yesterday — but Wednesday's posts added two things that change the shape of the story: the physical toll, stated plainly, and a direct response from Paul himself.

"Yall I think Im just frustrated because my body is crashing because MMA training is brutal. My heart just isnt in MMA anymore. Groin tear, AC joint separation. I just dont think my heart is in MMA anymore. Boxing there is more money and its significantly easier."— Sean Strickland on X, October 8, 2026

That's the part that should worry the UFC more than the money talk. Strickland has built his entire persona on being the guy who will fight anyone, anywhere, on any notice — the anti-diva. When that guy tells you his body is crashing and his heart isn't in it, it's not a negotiation tactic. Or at least, it's not only one.

The money talk, though, is the engine of the whole thing, and Strickland named his comps. According to Reuters, he pointed to Conor McGregor's reported $30 million payday for roughly 69 seconds of work in the Max Holloway loss at UFC 329 in July, and to boxer Conor Benn's reported $15 million one-fight agreement with Zuffa Boxing.

"I gotta be honest unless things change with the UFC Im kinda over it. McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 second and they dont want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205 knocking out my contract and scrapping with @jakepaul. That sounds fun."— Sean Strickland on X, October 7, 2026, via Reuters

The contrast he's drawing is brutal because the numbers, even the squishy ones, back him up. One widely circulated figure put Strickland's payout for beating the previously unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May at roughly $1.08 million — for a five-round title win over the most feared fighter on the roster. A separate report cited by Bloody Elbow suggested the UFC's current offer for his next fight sits around $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win. Neither figure is confirmed by the promotion, but the gap between "reigning champion money" and "McGregor money" is the entire argument, and it's not close.

So here's the plan as Strickland laid it out: vacate the middleweight belt, move up to light heavyweight where the weight cut won't kill him, fight out whatever remains of his UFC contract, and then — as a free agent — take the big boxing payday against Paul. "The thought of just giving up my belt going to 205 and speed running my contract to fight Jake and make what these guys are making sounds pretty damn appealing," he wrote.

It's a plan with real logic to it. At 205, Strickland skips the brutal cut to 185 that has defined his career. Fighting out the contract as an active, ranked light heavyweight keeps him relevant while the clock runs. And the Paul fight is the lottery ticket: Paul has made a career of boxing former UFC stars — Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, Mike Perry, Nate Diaz — and a reigning UFC champion, even a recently vacated one, would be the biggest MMA name he's ever faced.

Paul, for his part, didn't play it cool. "Sean Strickland, I see your texts, but are you out of contract?" he posted Wednesday. "Tell your 'promoter' to call MVP." Strickland's reply was almost sweet: "No insult to you but I'm shocked you would actually box me. Woodley I get but me is impressive."

There are complications stacked on complications. Reuters notes it is unclear how many fights remain on Strickland's current UFC contract, and the promotion has historically not been in the business of letting champions walk into boxing rings for other promoters. The middleweight division, meanwhile, can't wait around: Nassourdine Imavov (17-4) was the expected next challenger, but per MMA Junkie the promotion has now set its December numbered-card headliners — Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes at UFC 335 — leaving Strickland off the card entirely and pushing any Imavov fight to January at the earliest. LowKick reports Imavov has even asked the UFC to strip Strickland if he won't defend.

Zoom out and this is the same fight the whole sport is having in 2026, just with a champion as the messenger. Strickland's road here tells you why it stings: he beat Israel Adesanya in 2023 to win the belt, lost it to Dricus du Plessis, beat Paulo Costa, stopped Anthony Hernandez in February, then outlasted Chimaev over five rounds in May. That is a champion's résumé, earned the hard way, and his reward math still doesn't work next to a 69-second McGregor loss.

The irony writing itself this week: while one UFC champion threatens to leave over pay, another — Alex Pereira — just told the world his new eight-fight deal means the UFC "took really good care of me." Same promotion, same week, two completely different experiences of what a championship is worth. And on the undercard of the discourse, Paulo Costa reportedly reached out to Strickland amid the pay complaints with "a solution," per Bloody Elbow — because of course he did.

What happens next is genuinely uncertain, which is rare for these sagas — they usually end with a quiet new contract and a headline fight. Strickland says he'll talk to the UFC about what Zuffa Boxing has to offer. The promotion has a middleweight division to keep moving and a December card without its champion. And Jake Paul, freshly cleared to box again, just put Strickland on his own 15-name hit list today. The two of them are now publicly flirting with a fight that would need the UFC's blessing to happen — which is exactly why Strickland is talking about vacating in the first place.