Sean Strickland feels the fight world has been good to him.
The ex-UFC middleweight titleholder recently chatted with well-known influencer Adin Ross online. During their conversation, which covered various topics related and unrelated to fighting, Strickland addressed questions about his financial situation, providing an estimate of his current wealth and his projections for his finances post-retirement from fighting.
Strickland stated his `liquid` net worth is likely around $4 million. He clarified that `liquid` in his context includes investments, noting he has roughly $500,000 tied up in real estate with the remainder held in various accounts.
He estimated that, even in a worst-case scenario, his net worth could reach $8-10 million by the end of his fighting career. He believes this amount would be sufficient to live off, projecting an annual income of around $400,000 based on a five percent withdrawal rate from an $8 million net worth.
While there are no official figures detailing Strickland`s total earnings over his 11 years and 23 fights in the UFC, including three title bouts, he is considered one of the promotion`s higher-paid athletes. Despite this, Strickland has publicly criticized the UFC`s approach to fighter contracts, notably telling Daniel Cormier in May 2024 that the promotion doesn`t handle contract negotiations correctly.
Although it appears Strickland will be financially secure after retiring from the sport, he remains uncertain whether he will stay involved in the MMA world or explore different pursuits.
Strickland commented, “I don’t know, I won’t stop. I like to work.” He explained that after receiving a significant payment following a fight, often with injuries like a broken nose preventing immediate return, fighters might ponder what truly brings them happiness. He reflected that despite having ample money and doing as he pleases, he finds himself most unhappy when he questions what will make him happy.
Strickland`s immediate goal is to secure a victory after his recent loss in the championship rematch against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. The 34-year-old currently has no upcoming fights scheduled and revealed to Ross that he declined a recent offer to fight rising top 10 contender Caio Borralho because of their existing personal connection.
He confirmed, “It was Caio.” He elaborated on the difficulty of accepting such a fight, saying, “Those fights are just hard because you’ve got a wife, you’ve got a kid, who I personally know, who I like. He’s such a cool guy. He’s a really nice guy, so it’s one of those things where it’s like, do I really want to?”
