Man, UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland is throwing down, but not in the Octagon. The dude launched a social media tirade last week after claiming he actually *rejected* an end-of-the-year offer to defend his belt against Nassourdine Imavov. Strickland’s been super public about his frustrations with the UFC’s pay scale, making this whole thing an ongoing standoff with the promotion. He’s even declared he wants to compete in boxing and won’t return to the UFC until everything’s resolved. Wild, right?
“Do You Want To Fight, Yes Or No?” Demetrious Johnson Knows The Grind
You know who gets it, though? MMA legend Demetrious Johnson. The former UFC flyweight champ’s been there, done that, especially at the absolute peak of his career. On “The Ariel Helwani Show” Monday, Johnson straight up said he related to Strickland’s position. “I’ve been in his position before,” Johnson told *Uncrowned*. “At the end of the day, I fought through my contract as a champion because I wanted more money, and they weren’t going to give me more money.”
Johnson didn’t hold back, talking about how he was “finishing people,” “creating moves in there,” and being “exciting.” He fought through his contract, waiting for that cash. So he gets the frustration. He even brought up his own infamously blocked champion versus champion clash against bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw, a fight Johnson would’ve taken for a cool million bucks. He never got that payday in his entire 18-fight run with the company, man. So Johnson’s seen this movie. He’s got a really simple question for guys in this spot, too: “Do you want to fight or does he not? It’s a very simple question. Do you want to fight, yes or no? That’s just how I do business.” Hard to argue with that kind of clarity when you’re talking about a guy who actually fights for a living.
The Real Problem? It’s The Social Media Showdown
But here’s where Demetrious Johnson pumps the brakes on the Strickland solidarity train. While he totally gets Strickland’s qualms with pay, Johnson’s questioning the whole approach to this public battle. He asks, “There has to come a point in time where, when is enough enough?” Johnson admits he wishes he made more money, “One thousand percent,” but he’s not “going to sit here and gripe and moan about it. What’s done is done. Now, I’m moving forward.”
This hits different because, according to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Strickland actually signed a new six-fight UFC deal *before* his last fight, that split-decision title upset over Khamzat Chimaev back in May. That win, by the way, started Strickland’s *second* championship reign after his first one ended against Dricus du Plessis in January 2024. So he made a deal pretty recently. Johnson’s take on that? “I think when you see an athlete sign for a nine-fight deal, if he’s happy with it, I have to be happy with his decision.” He respects Strickland’s journey and career, saying, “If he’s not happy with it, I have to respect that he’s unhappy with it. It doesn’t mean I have to agree with him.” He even pointed to Henry Cejudo, who retired for more money, “Then he f***ing came back, and it didn’t work.”
The biggest beef Johnson has, though? It’s the social media aspect. Johnson’s own situation with the UFC was public knowledge during his Dillashaw negotiations, but he never took it to social media. “None of this needs to be an open battle for the world to see,” Johnson stated.
Johnson’s got a clear path for Strickland. He’d prefer if Strickland “just comes out and says, ‘Hey, this is what I want. The UFC’s not going to give it to me, so guys, I will fight out the rest of my contract, then I will move to boxing.’” Or, if it’s really about the money, “I don’t want to do mixed martial arts anymore. I don’t want to do it because the money’s not good.’ Then he just walks away.” It’s a no-frills, straight-up take from a legend who’s been there, offering some tough love on how to handle the fight outside the cage. Will Strickland listen? That’s the million-dollar question.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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