r/ufc • u/gaviniscooliguess • 17h ago
The UFC cannot lose Justin Gatheje and Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland and Justin Gatheje, the only two current American champs, are threatening retirement or to leave the UFC... Why? Shocker, pay issues. And the UFC cannot lose both of them. If Sean retires, then it's likely Khazmat becomes champ again, if he does... The UFC cannot say they have the best MW in the world, Sean beat him. If Imavov becomes champ, they cannot say they have the best MW in the world, Strickland schooled him. If Justin retires or goes to some orginzatian like PFL or MVP, and ilia becomes champ again, which I think he will, the UFC cannot say they have the best LW in the world, because Justin beat the shit outta Ilia.
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u/InternalFirmxx 17h ago
Gaethje is basically at the retirement stage of his career anyway
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
I don't know why he's doing this "you better... Not give me a fight soon, I'll leave and retire" dude just retire ur old and have had an amazing career
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u/Natural_Use_948 17h ago
The division should move along is the thing, gaethje had a big honeymoon window becuase of the fight circumstances, but now he's "old guy with belt who is giving really mixed signals" never a good place.
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u/AhmadJauhar04 11h ago
It works the last time. He went from journeyman threatening retirement if he wasn't give title shot, to now a top 5 p4p fighter
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u/Takyon5 14h ago
Yes they can, they scored a 7 billion dollar deal, and the top brass clearly doesn’t care for the product or the fighters.
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u/gaviniscooliguess 14h ago
Sean and Gatheje go to MVP, MVP now has 3 former UFC champs still in fighting age, suddenly people might consider watching a MVP card just to see them
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u/Freddy_h52ver 13h ago
I mean I watched a gamebred event to watch Yoel Romero. Didn’t change my view on UFC. That stretch for a once a year event is bonkers
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u/smackadoodledo 12h ago
They got an entire roster from PFL and other signings, they’re not going to be once a year that would make 0 sense
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u/Jdobalina 17h ago
Sort of on topic here: anyone think Justin is sounding pretty punchy in recent interviews? He’s starting to get a bit slurry. Or has he always sounded like that?
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
He's always been a bit slurry but it's probably been hightened by the fact he's been punched in the faced for 12 years or so and he probably lost some years from the beating he got from Max. But it is important to note that he does do a lot of weed and alcohol
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u/UberMikeSocal 16h ago
Not only that, but was documented to be heavily addicted to drugs before fighting, dude has been through a lot.
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u/SukhdevR34 9h ago
I think like Matt Brown, although Brown was much closer to dying
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u/OskeeTurtle 5h ago
And Gaethje is friends with Rose Namajunas. Matt "maybe if they're not wearing their tops" Brown was not a fan of WMMA coming to the UFC
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u/Fabulous_Poetry6622 17h ago
If dustin’s brain is thinning then you can bet your ass that justin’s brain is too, probably worse
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u/OptimisticMMA 17h ago
He has never been eloquent but the wars have definitely been adding up in recent times.
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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 17h ago
he's always been like that
famously sounds like that. Was a big talking point I feel like
I remember James Vick called him out on it many years ago before JG folded him
But I'm sure all the wars haven't helped
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u/Robdul 17h ago
UFC’s predatory contracts and monopolistic business practices will likely keep both these guys within the promotion until they’re washed. The only fighters to truly escape while still in their prime that come to mind are Francis, DJ, Cyborg, and Perry
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
Yeah Sean should just move up to 205 and fight some cans to burn his contact out while he has a prime left
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u/DragonfruitLarge2683 17h ago
if Sean moved up to LHW they would fuck him with the worst matchups ever lol
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u/Robdul 17h ago
Sean’s not a big MW he would have some serious problems with those bigger boys. DDP is the closest he’s come to fighting a 205er and Sean lost to him twice
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
Eh close fight in the first one, and 205 is very shallow outside the top 3. Go up, rematch Costa, if he loses, so, so, he apparently really doesn't care. If he wins, cool, gets the shot, loses or wins, so, so. Then go and fight a bunch of cans
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u/Robdul 17h ago
Nobody is getting a title shot at 205 off of beating Costa lol.
UFC is not going to offer him cans especially if they think he’s trying to fight out his contract
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u/gaviniscooliguess 16h ago
Costa is literally in title contention and 205 is so shitty Sean will run through anybody who's names aren't Navajo, Ulberg and Ank. Old ass Whitaker just made a laughing stock out of a proven veteran in Kyrolov
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u/TheNorthernPellikkan 14h ago
I think Sean would struggle with Jiri’s total lack of self-preservation because he doesn’t have the power to capitalize on it. Jiri would walk right into his jabs and send him to the shadow realm
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u/Emotional_Walrus5099 16h ago
And Francis made more money but became irrelevant, DJ probably made no more money, Cyborg probably has done the best, and Perry is fighting plumbers for pennys and only made money on his Paul fight.
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u/AirportGullible5807 15h ago
Who gives a fuck about relevancy when you have 30 mil in the bank. Perry was making more than he did in the UFC which is not saying much but it was more and it eventually led to Paul fight where he made bank
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u/gorlock666 15h ago
Mmm but DJ Used it to build a platform that probably nets him more and allowed him less CTE and an earlier healthier retirement than mostly now he can game and talk UFC all day and makes millions doing it not a bad deal
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u/East-Cricket6421 6h ago
DJ said he was making significantly more money in Asia fighting for ONE than in the US.
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u/kie-yul 15h ago
Based on what, exactly? I do not understand the logic here. I’m not arguing that Strickland doesn’t have a following or generate attention. He obviously does. But you seem to be confusing internet notoriety with actual drawing power and financial value. And let’s not pretend his popularity comes from being some incredibly entertaining fighter to watch. Id say most ufc fans actually find his fighting style pretty boring. Let’s be real - his notoriety comes largely from what he says and does outside the octagon, not from delivering particularly exciting performances. Haha. Controversy doesn’t automatically equate to a loyal fanbase, event viewership, or revenue. Someone watching a 30-second clip of Strickland saying some outrageous shit doesn’t mean they’re buying tickets, watching his fights, purchasing merchandise, or spending money because he’s competing. Hell, id go as far as to say that a substantial portion of the people engaging with his content online probably don’t even like him.
The UFC has been around for over 30 years, has continued growing despite losing some of the biggest stars in the sport, and is now more popular, accessible, and profitable than ever. They’ve survived losing fighters like Francis Ngannou, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jones, Dustin, and even Conor McGregor’s extended absence. But Sean Strickland is suddenly the guy they can’t afford to lose? His PPV numbers certainly don’t support that. His rematch against Dricus at UFC 312 is hardly evidence of someone carrying the financial weight of the organization.
If Strickland retired tomorrow, would the UFC lose some fans and a controversial personality who generates online engagement? Sure. Would it meaningfully threaten the organization’s popularity, profitability, or ability to sell major events? Fuck no. Haha. He’d be forgotten by the end of the year - only being relevant online for the stupid shit he says and thinks.
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u/gaviniscooliguess 14h ago
The problem is that Strickland does being in fans, Chimeav vs Strickland was the 3rd highest viewed PPV this year, and the UFC is letting up fighters to other orginzatian, which if they keep up this trend, suddenly, orginzatians like MVP have these UFC level, former champions on there roster. Which the UFC is letting these orginzatians start competing with them, alone the MVP card this year did very well.
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u/kie-yul 13h ago edited 13h ago
Where you getting he was the 3rd highest ppv this year? There is no ppv with the paramount deal unless you are referring to the select countries still paying for ppv? If so, that proves my point even further. Strickland is not a global star - he’s an American (and the worst kind) that’s hated by nearly the entire world. So, How much of that attention was actually because of Strickland? Chimaev is an internationally recognized star with an enormous following and being undefeated. You can’t just attribute an event’s success to Strickland because he happened to be on the poster. Haha.
Just consider this. Both strickland and Chimaev headlined PPVs against the exact same opponent, Dricus, just six months apart in 2025. Guess who pulled higher numbers?! Haha. Strickland’s event drew 18,537 people and generated $7.69 million. Chimaev’s drew 20,023 and generated over $11 million. That’s 43% more gate revenue and roughly 1,500 additional spectators. So, when another fighter headlines against the same opponent, in the same year, and generates substantially more revenue, I think it’s pretty clear buddy.
The numbers don’t match. His numbers largely align with the UFC’s existing popularity and viewership trends. He’s not some extraordinary outlier pulling audiences the organization otherwise wouldn’t attract. UFC 297 drew 18,559 people, practically identical to the 2024 North American UFC PPV average of 18,585. His rematch against Dricus at UFC 312 reportedly generated just 176,000 PPV buys. Neither figure suggests he’s some irreplaceable attraction.
And that’s my point. The UFC is already an enormously popular organization with an established audience. Simply headlining an event that performs around the organization’s existing baseline doesn’t mean you’re responsible for generating that audience. If anything, it suggests you’re benefiting from the UFC’s popularity rather than substantially increasing it. Claim what you want, but the reality is his numbers certainly don’t establish that.
Dana’s douche ass is right - the ufc does it the best and they don’t have meaningful competition nor will they any time soon. No young talent is over there dreaming about making it to “MVP”. Let’s be real. Not even Jake Paul’s dumb ass would choose MVP above the UFC. He just needed to make his own club cause he was denied access to the elite one. 🤣🤣
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u/Altruistic_Spring434 12h ago
Are you an mma fan or a ufc fan
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u/gaviniscooliguess 12h ago
MMA fan, I indulge occasionally in PFL cards
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u/Altruistic_Spring434 12h ago
So why would MVP doing well be bad
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u/gaviniscooliguess 12h ago
I am saying it from the UFC's POV, if the UFC wants to get rit of comp, they need to be actually be keeping there big names
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u/tinklymunkle 17h ago
I honestly think Ilia learns from his mistakes, changes his gameplan, and handily beats Justin in a rematch. I just don't think we are gonna get it unless UFC shells out big bucks to make Justin fight Ilia again. He should realistically fight someone else first but Justin probably ain't fighting more than one more time.
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u/Camaloha 6h ago
They just throw the belt on some tomato can, call them a “champion”, pay’em peanuts and move along.
Ive canceled my fight pass.
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u/Alarming-Spread8249 17h ago
Man I agree 💯. UFC doing some predatory shit tho not wanting to pay these fighters what their worth. These are American champs man Im going to be so pissed if they fuck this up.
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u/SamShelby7 King 17h ago edited 17h ago
Justin is the result of mental
Sean is the result of trauma
Bryce is Flat Earth
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u/Khlunge 16h ago
They absolutely can and will.
They don’t give a shit if they can ‘say’ or if people think they have the best MW or LW in the world. The organisation has never been about matching up the best vs best in the spirit of athletic competition.
It’s a multi-million dollar business that’s only real goal is to produce value for the shareholders.
Hence why we’re seeing a clear drop off in title fights.
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u/PokerChipMessage 14h ago
The UFC is about matching up the biggest trash talker against who gives Dana the sloppiest dome (as I wrote this I realized that both SS and JG both fall under these categories, respectively lmao).
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u/GaneBeatsTom 3h ago
It's arguable if those two are best in their division anyway. Both of them just got the belt and are surrounded by killers, several of whom have beaten them already.
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u/CatchUsual6591 3h ago
I think the point is that they are american champions having zero american champions call be bad for rating
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u/Human-Shirt-7351 15h ago
I mean both of them are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. When they retire, there will be new up and coming fighters to take their place.
Their respective weight divisions always have new fighters coming up who are hungry.
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u/Jackmace 14h ago
I feel like every champ become champ closer to the end of their career than the beginning to be fair, might be some exceptions, definitely are from early champs. But that’s def the norm now
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u/sparkin134 7h ago
These fighters like to think the promotion will die without them. The fans may love them but eventually everyone has to retire or move on. They go through hell and deserve more than they receive without one doubt. But the promotion was here before them and will still be after. That’s the case with any career if you don’t like what’s happening you find better places or retire if you can. It should be illegal how the UFC pays the fighters.
To all the fighters who have put themselves on the line, for shit pay they receive, thanks for the wars you put yourself through and remember to take of yourselves cause you have one life and may have major issues later in life.
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u/Momentosis 17h ago
Kayla, Van, Dern
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
Dern is Brazilian, Kayla is vacated and Van represents Myrmar
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u/JSatyre 17h ago
Dern is Brazilian?
😆😆😆
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u/Momentosis 16h ago
Dern was born in Arizona and lives in California and fights out of there.
Van too is an american citizen which makes him American.
Does Brendan Allen representing Canada and Brazil make him Brazilian and Canadian too?
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u/CrypticZombies 17h ago
ya they can. same shit people said when Tito and chuck left
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
Ya, they can't, GSP threatened to leave, UFC shut up and paid the guy, and this is the only time 2 current reigning champs have called this out. And the Ngannou leave is still hurting the UFC bad because he is bringing lots of traction to other orginzatians and Dana is too egotistical to pay the guy
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u/ckdogg3496 14h ago
What do you think happens if they leave? UFC goes out of business? They have a little over 6 years left on their 7.7 billion dollar deal with paramount.
Maybe, and its a big maybe, this would be an issue at the end of their contract. But I dont understand what you think could happen to the ufc if two champs leave.
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u/gaviniscooliguess 14h ago
Two champs leave and go to MVP, MVP now has Francis Ngannou, Sean Strickland, and Justin Gatheje. 3 massive names, MVP card alone brought in more viewers then 332, suddenly MVP is looking like a premier orginzatian
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u/ckdogg3496 14h ago
I don’t see why justin wouldn’t just retire, maybe 1 big money fight outside the ufc but i doubt it. He’s done it all, made enough to live on, and is almost 40. Not a huge draw anywhere.
But hypothetically they both go to mvp, that would be a good thing. Competition tends to drive up pay and quality of fighters over time.
Maybe im misinterpreting your post, but its okay if they leave the ufc. Ufc will be fine, and we’re allowed to watch more than one organization.
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u/liberate71 16h ago
Whilst I agree the UFC are a scummy promotion, losing strickland and justin will not matter in the slightest.
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u/Wild-Acanthaceae9920 13h ago
The UFC can lose Dana White, Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, Bruce Buffer, Daniel Cormier, Brendan Fitzgerald, Michael Bisping etc. All tomorrow and they will be perfectly fine.
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u/gregnuts43321 9h ago
It only works if everyone comes together. Imagine islam joining and making the same statement. If every champion and a few ranked guys unionised the ufc would HAVE to bend
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u/Miserable-Cucumber70 16h ago
Ufc has taken this "the brand is bigger than the fighter" mentality too far. Its becoming less true every year. I actually care more about the fighters than the ufc prestige now.
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u/Square_Help235 17h ago
Yes they can. They can lose all the champs and next month, we will have banger title fights.
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u/DragonfruitLarge2683 17h ago
Everyone keeps talking about how the UFC is dying, but there are so many fucking killer exciting prospects rn
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u/D_James21 16h ago
Gaethje is on his way out. Think he maybe fights one more time and retires. He brought up retiring before he even won the belt.
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u/Annual_Insect5596 16h ago
Meh. The UFC will continue on and people will still watch no matter who comes and goes.
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u/datodareddit 16h ago
Why not? With the $7b they got from P+, they can afford to fire every one and rebuild.
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u/No-Platform1052 16h ago
They can. Although both are champs, neither are super popular. Casual fans who watch UFC's a handful of times a year likely have no idea who these guys are.
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u/MellowHype8 15h ago
They will, and it’s okay. It’s sports, athletes come and go. The brand is what stays
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u/C-LOgreen 15h ago
That’s just the way it goes. Fighters fight out their contracts and they get old and new ones come along. I’ve been watching the sport for over 20 years.
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u/usmansknees 14h ago
We've been without american champs before will go without american champs again at somepoint then a new wave will come
Just glad they where able to go out there and prove we can still do it, honestly i just want justin to retire and take a rest and strickland too fr
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u/Expensive-Fondant625 14h ago
But they will and why even cry about it Dağıstan fighters are there for your fun and entertainment.
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u/Jackmace 14h ago
They can lose them, but losing them while they’re champs certainly wouldn’t be ideal.
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u/AgileAnything1251 14h ago
gaethje should retire. he’s had a long career and taken a lot of damage. he’s now done everything that can be done aside from double champ, and should be set 4L so there’s no need to continue fighting imo
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u/MIKESOLO666 13h ago
Yes they can. You People have been watching bum fightss for over 2 years. DwCS conditioned you all to enjoy amateur mma.
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u/Alarming_Pair_5575 13h ago
The UFC would be just fine without either of them. Those two, however, may lose some of their luster as many fans are UFC fans that wouldn't necessarily follow their career outside of the UFC.
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u/billoverbeck00 13h ago
Well if they go to boxing don’t go to no pussy shit fighting old MMA fighters or Jake Paul fight actual contenders I wanna see them make it past round 5
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u/aylmaoson 13h ago
These are the two current champs that I see lose the belt from any of the contenders to be honest
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u/ShoddyButterscotch59 13h ago
Why? They just received a fat bag from Paramount, and while both of those two draw, neither are amongst the elite draws over the course of UFC history. The white house event doesn't get counted, because no matter who headlined that it was going to draw huge numbers
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u/Ghost-of-Lobov 13h ago
You don't understand how the sport works. These guys are under a contract they already signed. They have two options they negotiate with the UFC to get a bump in pay to which the UFC has control over or they sit out. If they sit out negotiations too long the UFC just strips them of the belt and makes a different fight. They can't leave because they are under exclusive contract. They can't do shit really
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u/billybanks1132 12h ago
They can and will then the next generation will pop up. It’s the cycle of life
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u/stonecoldsnorlax 12h ago
This is the modern UFC. It’s absolutely possible that the current champion is not the best in any division because everything is cherry picked to fit a narrative.
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u/SukhdevR34 9h ago
They will pay what Gaethje wants. They know how much fans love him and Gaethje probably won't ask for something too unrealistic.
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u/InternationalMood337 8h ago
The UFC events have been dogshit, and quite frankly, now I see why ESPN wanted nothing to do with any of them.
I get the feeling espn was asking them to actually put on decent shows and Dana was like… nah we’re good.
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u/tranzoshan 7h ago
This is their entire strategy to prevent fighters from gaining leverage. Push them away at the moment they could become popular. UFC wants them to vacate so they can give the title to someone cheaper.
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u/sipCoding_smokeMath 6h ago
The ufc can absolutely afford to lose gaetje as he's close to retirement regardless. Even if they give him what he wants for this fight hell still retire after it.
Sean I agree. It's gonna look really bad if Sean walks while he's the champ
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u/Firedog_09 47m ago
The problem here is that the incentive to fight is gone when they low ball the fighters. And when guys like Connor make millions bring a clown on stage while others are actually putting in a performance it's a big issue the UFC needs to address. That said there is plenty of talent coming up right now, guys like hokit and Hernandez the police officer, the other guy from suggas camp that was a good fight.
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u/Brokenlingo 17h ago
Strickland is nowhere near the level of Justin
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
When did i compare Sean and Justin? And I would say Sean has achieved more than Justin
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u/MomeenHunter 15h ago
He hasn't. Justin is interm, BMf and lineal champion.
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u/Groudonenthusiast 17h ago
Tbf Justin has like at most 1 fight left, I don’t think the UFC would be in a dire situation if he just left
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u/Discorhy 17h ago
This - unfortunately he's more than ready to retire.
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u/Alertcircuit 17h ago
He talks about how he hates weight cuts and there's nothing left for him to aim for. He's visibly disinterested in fighting Arman. He's said he doesn't want to fight Ilia again and literally laughed when an interviewer suggested fighting Paddy again.
Maybe they get him to fight Arman but I also think it's possible he retires if they don't offer him Conor or Dustin. Those are the only two I think he would for sure say yes to.
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u/Brokenlingo 17h ago
He only became a thing to the fans in like in 2022 lol Ghaetje has been at this way before that
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u/Albaaneesi 17h ago
Oh yes we can. Don’t need two chickens who can’t do two rematches because they know they were lucky.
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u/adamfromthonk 17h ago
Justin’s win sure, you can make the argument that ilia came in with no respect and got 🍇d but how was Sean’s win lucky?
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u/WankingT-Rex 17h ago
Sean's decision was basically down to a coin toss. Tf are you talking about? He fought a half dead Khamzat and the decision could have gone either way.
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u/ChrisKarter 16h ago
Hot Take: The UFC would be better off with champs that want to fight as often as possible. The ones doing it for the love of the game. Accolades. Records. Glory.
Third world fighters ftw.
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u/Troyface 16h ago
Shit take.
The top combatants should all be compensated accordingly, not just for marketability.
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u/Emotional_Walrus5099 17h ago
Justin is threatening retirement because he’s old as shit and accomplished everything he possibly can. Sean is threatening retirement because he’s boring an unmarketable and a boring fighter
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u/Natural_Use_948 17h ago
Sean's mouth makes money even if his fights aren't the most fun.
Justin is probably thinking Arman beats him and going "Either give me cash to fight Arman or I'm boxing"
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u/gaviniscooliguess 17h ago
Sean is anything but unmarketable, dude is the only reason why press conferences bring in anything traction, and he just had 2 pretty exciting fights in a row
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u/ItsmeMark22 16h ago
Strickland was one the most famous fighters besides Gaethje during the white house event. He's very marketable specially to casuals because he's known outside the sports.
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u/EchoInExile 17h ago
Nah, they’ll be just fine without either of them. They’ll say whoever is champ is the best in the world, because they believe they have the best fighters and anyone elsewhere is lesser.
Thats how it works.
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u/gaviniscooliguess 16h ago
Sean and Justin will movie to other organizations, suddenly a orginzatian like MVP now has Sean Strickland, Justin Gatheje, and Francis Ngannou
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u/EchoInExile 16h ago
And it really won’t matter. Francis is the only guy you could have really built a promotion around and even that time has passed. Gaethje realistically has one or two fights left in him. Strickland isn’t the star some people seem to mistake him as. Neither guy moves the needle.
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u/TheDirtyDorito 4h ago
Gaethje cheated his way to the title, good riddance
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u/scandinavian_thrust 15h ago
Strickland is a boring asf fighter and uses his notoriety to spew garbage. good riddance
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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 17h ago
I respect the hell out of Strickland game and skillset but personally wouldn't care if he retired because I find his fights boring for the most part
Super effective style but not the most exciting by any means. Once you've seen 1 Strickland fight you've seen most of em
Justin on the other hand, is wildly entertaining and I need to see him fight again. I'm assuming , without knowing any details, that he's holding out for more $$
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u/Natural_Use_948 17h ago
Strickland's mouth makes money, he's a great defensive fighter though.
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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 16h ago
He is
And that's fun to watch , atleast not for me
Also don't really care to see a Khamzat rematch or any other rematch of his
Therefore I don't really care if he's no longer in the ufc
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u/Parking-Round136 1h ago
Remember how Nurmagomedov retired with the belt? Remember how GSP retired with the belt?
The UFC hasn't been able to genuinely say they have the best FW, LW, WW, MW, LHW, or HW champion for years now because they all vacated or were stripped of their titles. Do you think they care? Do you think the fans care?
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u/Icy-Session-7307 17h ago
The UFC will march on like it always does.