Sean Strickland's Threat to Ditch UFC for Jake Paul Boxing Fight Labeled 'Bad Idea'

After winning the UFC Middleweight Championship for the second time against Khamzat Chimaev,current champion  Sean Strickland was expected to defend his belt against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 on the night of Dec. 12 inside T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV. However, the lure of a massive boxing payday changed his plans.

As a result of his wishes, Sean Strickland is now threatening to walk away from the UFC to pursue a boxing match, despite having five fights left on his contract. The contract dispute caught the attention of former champion and UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping. He argued that champions have a responsibility to defend their title upon winning it.

Michael Bisping Doubts Sean Strickland Can Beat Jake Paul

Michael Bisping highlighted the timeline of Sean Strickland's current promotional contract to explain why the sudden crossover demand is problematic.

“He signed a new deal, though, right before the Khamzat fight when he was a contender,” Michael Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Now he beat Khamzat. He became the champion, but he signed a five-fight deal, and he wants a new contract now. So listen, I want all fighters to get paid as much as possible. But he should have had a clause in there that if he became the champ, the money goes to XYZ..."

Michael Bisping on Duties of Being a UFC Champion and Mandatory Defense of Sean Strickland's Middleweight Title

Michael Bisping explained that contract negotiations are not his business, but being champion brings different responsibilities. He wants fighters to get paid well, but argues a titleholder cannot just stall the division.

"You kind of have an obligation to defend the belt," Bisping added. "He's talking about going to Zuffa Boxing, fighting Jake Paul. That would be a bad idea. I like Sean. I did a whole video defending him after Nassourdine Imavov was going after him and sprinting at him at the Apex. So I like Sean. I think he's great for the sport. We need characters like him."

The former UFC Middleweight Champion praised Strickland's unfiltered personality, calling him an asset to the sport. However, Michael Bisping strongly doubts that Sean Strickland can succeed in boxing.

"They speak their mind," Bisping said. "But he's not going to go off to boxing and beat Jake Paul. He's just not. He's just not."

Latest Chapter in Dramatic Story Between Sean Strickland and UFC

This public standoff comes five months after Strickland won his split decision in May, improving his record to 31-7. He referenced Conor McGregor on social media, noting that top MMA stars should make $30 million. To chase that kind of money, he wants to move to light heavyweight and quickly finish his contract. 

However, UFC CEO Dana White rejected the boxing idea. While Dana White praised Strickland's punching power, he gave a firm "No" when asked if he would let the champion box cruiserweight titleholder Jai Opetaia.

With both the promotion's leadership and seasoned veterans advising against the move, the middleweight division remains in limbo.

Michael Bisping isn't the only UFC Hall of Fame inductee who's spoken out against Sean Strickland's recent demands to depart from the promotion. Fellow UFC Hall of Fame enshrinee Daniel Cormier also doesn’t want to see Strickland walk away from the UFC.

As a promotion and as a company, the UFC must now decide whether to meet Sean Strickland's current financial demands or find a way to keep the weight class moving forward in the event that Sean Strickland elects to move on from the sport of MMA to pursue a new livelihood in the world of pugilism.