Sean Strickland reveals Jake Paul’s $1 million fight offer was blocked by UFC

Former UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland has explained how the MMA promotion shut down any idea of him fighting Jake Paul after the YouTuber-turned-boxer offered him $1 million to spar. 

Since stepping into the world of boxing, Jake Paul has gone after fighters from all different disciplines. He’s verbally sparred with some of the biggest boxers in the world, including Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but he’s also gone after MMA stars. 

The ‘Problem Child’ has repeatedly clashed with Conor McGregor, Dana White, and Nate Diaz as he’s built up his boxing record with wins over former UFC fighters. 

Most recently, he’s been engaged in a war of words with Sean Strickland after he beat up Sneako in a sparring session. Jake went so far as offering the former UFC Middleweight champion $1 million to spar him ahead of his March 2 return to the ring against Ryan Bourland. However, according to Strickland, the UFC intervened and shut down that payday. 

Sean Strickland reveals UFC shut down $1 million Jake Paul fight

The 32-year-old, who has repeatedly clashed with Jake on social media, took to his YouTube channel on February 12 to lay out why he won’t be fighting the YouTuber-turned-boxer anytime soon, despite the massive offer. 

“So, Jake Paul offered me $1 million knowing that it is impossible for me to do that. I actually talked to Hunter (UFC’s Chief Business Officer). I was like, Hunter, I will fight this man. You let Conor McGregor fight Mayweather, this is an easier fight, easier money, can I do that? Hunter explained to me that he sells no fights. When they have fights, they give away tickets, he doesn’t make money, his target audience is children, and they don’t buy pay-per-views,” the UFC Middleweight said. 

“So, a little depressing, because I thought to myself ‘I’ll take a payday beating up this f*cking man’, seems easy enough.”

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Strickland further added that Jake “clearly knows” that the two are unable to fight for money anytime soon, but urged him to fly to Las Vegas for a “little powwow.”

“You know as well as I know, what happens in that,” he continued. “I’ll do it for free, I don’t need a check, I don’t need to live stream it. I will do it for free sir. So if that’s something you want, you want to show everyone how big and hard that d*ck is, let me know when.”