Mailbag: Does Sean Strickland speaking out change things for UFC fighters?

Key Points:

• UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland publicly criticized the UFC for low fighter pay, threatening to walk away from his title amid frustrations with the promotion’s business practices and contract restrictions.
• Despite Strickland’s complaints, UFC contracts are highly restrictive, locking fighters in for multiple bouts with little leverage, making it unlikely that individual fighters can effect significant change in pay or benefits.
• The UFC currently pays fighters about 18-20% of its revenue, far less than other major sports leagues, and while the company could afford to offer pensions or retirement funds, it shows no interest due to its business model and classification of fighters as private contractors.
• Meaningful improvements in fighter compensation and benefits, such as pensions, would likely require collective organization and demands from fighters, which seems improbable under current UFC structures.
• A hypothetical discussion on how UFC history might have changed if Rafael dos Anjos fought Conor McGregor suggests different career trajectories for both fighters and the UFC landscape, including potential impacts on title fights and the popularity of certain fighters and divisions.