DANA WHITE FIRES BACK AT STRICKLAND: "YOU JUST SIGNED IN MAY"

Dana White dismissed Sean Strickland's pay complaints after the Contender Series finale, saying the champion signed a new UFC deal in May.

"When isn't Sean Strickland upset about something?"

Dana White said that to reporters after the final Contender Series card of Season 10 in Las Vegas. He was answering Strickland's public fight over his next title defense purse.

Strickland is the middleweight champion. His next defense is expected to be a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov, and the money is now the public fight before the fight.

The Threat Strickland Made

Strickland has said he could vacate the belt over the proposed purse. He has talked about moving to light heavyweight and fighting out his contract.

He has also talked about a boxing bout with Jake Paul after that. Those are big threats from a sitting champion, and White heard them all through social media.

White said he has not spoken to Strickland personally about it. He said he has only seen the comments online, like everyone else.

White's Answer Is The Contract

White's core point was simple. Strickland is not on an old deal that the UFC has left untouched for years.

"Sean Strickland just signed a new contract in May."

— Dana White, Contender Series post-fight news conference

White repeated that point several times. He said Strickland got a whole new deal in May, only a few months ago.

He also disputed Strickland's version of his own pay. White said the number Strickland is putting out in public is not true.

Why This Matters Now

Strickland has compared his earnings with a $30 million figure he claims Conor McGregor earned for his last appearance. White did not address the comparison.

A champion threatening to walk away puts the whole division on hold. Imavov has earned his shot, and the rematch cannot move until the champion's deal fight ends.

The belt is not being held up by an injury or a ranking dispute. It is being held up by money, in public, with the boss pushing back.

What Happens Next

White did not announce a signed fight. He did not offer a new number in public, and he did not close the door on the Imavov rematch either.

His message was that a fresh contract should end the complaint. Strickland's message, so far, is that it does not.

So who blinks first — the champion who says he will leave, or the boss who says he just got paid?