Sean Strickland believes his career in combat sports has been financially rewarding.
During a recent live stream with popular influencer Adin Ross, the former UFC middleweight champion discussed various subjects, including his financial status. Strickland provided Ross with an estimate of his current net worth and projections for his wealth after retiring from fighting.
Strickland estimated his liquid net worth to be approximately $4 million. He clarified that `liquid` in this context includes investments, noting that $500,000 is in real estate and the remainder is held in various accounts.
He projected that, even in a worst-case scenario, his net worth could reach $8-10 million upon retirement. He calculated that a five percent annual withdrawal from an $8 million portfolio would provide roughly $400,000 per year, which he believes he could live comfortably on.
While exact earnings over his 11-year, 23-fight UFC career (including three title bouts) are not publicly disclosed, he is considered one of the higher-paid athletes. Despite this, Strickland has previously criticized UFC fighter pay, notably expressing to Daniel Cormier in May 2024 his belief that the promotion mishandles contract negotiations.
Although he anticipates financial security post-fighting, Strickland remains uncertain whether he will stay involved in the MMA world or explore different avenues after retirement.
Strickland stated he doesn`t foresee stopping work entirely because he enjoys it. He described a common experience after receiving a large fight purse while injured: despite having money and freedom, he finds himself asking what will truly make him happy, and sometimes feels most unhappy when contemplating this.
Strickland`s next goal is to rebound from his recent championship rematch loss to 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 face rising top 10 contender Caio Borralho because of their existing personal connection.
He identified Caio Borralho as the fighter he turned down, explaining the difficulty in fighting someone he personally knows and likes, particularly when they have a family he also knows. He questioned whether he truly wanted to face someone he has a positive relationship with.
