Sean Strickland spent Wednesday venting on X about UFC pay. By Thursday, Jake Paul had turned the vent into a business offer.

“Sean Strickland I see your texts but are you out of contract?” Paul wrote on X on October 8, 2026. “Tell your ‘promoter’ to call MVP.”

MVP is Most Valuable Promotions, the boxing outfit Paul co-founded. The reply landed roughly a day after Strickland had publicly aired his pay grievances with the UFC.

‘McGregor 30 million, some lame boxer 15 million’

Strickland (31-7) holds the UFC middleweight title after beating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 in May 2026. He has not fought since, and talks over a title defense against Nassourdine Imavov have stalled on money.

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He was not subtle about it.

“I gotta be honest unless things change with the UFC Im kinda over it,” Strickland posted. “McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds and they dont want to pay us a fraction of it.”

Then he put the Jake Paul idea on the table in writing.

“It’s just hard McGregor 30 million. Some lame boxer 15 million. 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.”

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Strickland also said in a separate post that both Israel Adesanya and Chimaev earned “significantly more” than he did for their respective fights against him.

Why Paul’s reply matters

Paul’s response reframes the exchange. Strickland was ranting; MVP, as the inviting promotion, is treating him as a potential signing, but only once his UFC contract is cleared.

“Are you out of contract?” is the only question that matters in the sentence, and today the answer is no.

The timing from Paul’s side is at least plausible. He has not fought since losing to Anthony Joshua by sixth-round stoppage on December 19, 2025, a defeat that broke his jaw and required a second surgery in February 2026. His own timeline, given to reporters earlier this year, is a return in “late this year or early next year” at cruiserweight rather than heavyweight.

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Two obstacles between texts and a fight

Strickland would first need to see out or terminate his UFC deal. He floated moving to 205 pounds and “speed running” the rest of it, but that is a UFC weight class, not a boxing one, and his middleweight title still sits with him until he vacates.

The UFC itself has moved on from Strickland for now. UFC 335’s main event has been announced as Charles Oliveira against Diego Lopes, a card Strickland had expected to headline.

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