Dana White's Firm 'No' to Sean Strickland's Crossover Comes With One Fighter Labeled 'More Than Likely'
Dana White has rejected middleweight champion Sean Strickland's demands to transition into professional boxing.
Sean Strickland is threatening to leave the UFC as a bitter pay dispute boils over with Dana White. The 35-year-old middleweight champion shocked the MMA world in May by defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 to claim the title for the second time. Instead of booking his next defense, Strickland is offering to vacate his belt to pursue a boxing match against Jake Paul.
Frustrated by what he called an insulting contract offer from the UFC, Strickland claimed he would move up in weight to box undefeated cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
White wasted no time closing the door on Strickland's boxing ambitions. By dismissing the idea of a crossover match, the bitter pay dispute remains unsettled.
Dana White Rejects Sean Strickland's Boxing Plans
White addressed the champion's sudden boxing demands during a live broadcast with influencer Nina Drama. While he praised Strickland's striking skills, he made it clear that active UFC fighters will not be crossing over into the boxing ring.
"I don't think it ever goes good crossing over boxing with MMA... Strickland is a tough guy who has hands," White said.
Instead of letting his middleweight champion leave the cage, White revealed that a different heavyweight blockbuster is actually in the works. The UFC CEO stated there is "a really good chance" that undefeated cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will face Deontay Wilder next, potentially placing that matchup on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff this December.
The financial standoff reached a boiling point after contract negotiations for a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov stalled over money. Frustrated by the numbers, Strickland took to X to compare standard UFC fighter pay with the massive earnings of the sport's biggest icon.
"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," Strickland wrote.
He admitted that his heart is no longer in mixed martial arts. To get out of the promotion, the champion outlined an exit plan. He wants to move up to 205 pounds for an easier weight cut, finish his remaining UFC fights, and vacate his title to pursue boxing. He cited Conor Benn’s reported $15 million boxing deal as his main motivation. However, new reports suggest fights left on his contract.
Imavov isn't buying the money talk. The two fighters recently had a tense, face-to-face confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Despite the intense back-and-forth, Strickland has not filed any formal paperwork to give up his title or leave the UFC, though he stated he will figure things out soon.
Why Dana White Blocks Jai Opetaia Fight Even With Zuffa Boxing Under His Control
Because White runs both the UFC and Zuffa Boxing, he has the unique power to grant Strickland a lucrative crossover fight. However, approving a boxing match in the middle of a contract standoff sets a bad corporate precedent. Doing so would reward a champion for using social media complaints to secure outside paydays.
Allowing a mixed martial artist to test his skills against an elite champion like Opetaia, who holds a perfect 31-0 record, invites a severe, one-sided mismatch in the ring for Strickland. Such a fight also presents a massive athletic risk for the UFC brand.
