Sean Strickland Criticizes UFC Content Creation, Claims Edited footage
Sean Strickland, the recently crowned UFC middleweight champion, has voiced his frustration with the promotion’s content creation process, stating he finds it “fraudulent” and prefers simply delivering lines as requested.
Ahead of his scheduled fight against Paulo Costa at UFC Fight Night 297 in Houston on January 13th (he won by unanimous decision), Strickland shared a video on Instagram showing him traveling to a UFC shoot. In the clip, he explained his dislike for filming with the UFC, alleging that unedited footage is never used.
“I’m on my way to film with the UFC you guys,” Strickland said. “And I hate filming with UFC as it’s all f-ing fraudulent, right? It’s like you know me unedited? They won’t play any of that s-.”
He further elaborated that he’s resigned to simply following instructions. “So at the end of the day it’s like ‘alright UFC,tell me what you wont me to say. I know you need content to put on YouTube or B-Roll, so just just tell me what you want me to say’.Than I’ll f-ing say it and I can get on with my day.”
Strickland’s comments highlight a common critique within the UFC community regarding the heavily produced and often scripted nature of promotional content. He recently defeated Dricus Du Plessis by split decision to win the middleweight title on January 20th, 2024, at UFC 297.
Sources:
* Bloody Elbow: Sean Strickland reveals the reason he hates to film with UFC ahead of comeback fight
* ESPN: Sean Strickland defeats Dricus Du Plessis to win UFC middleweight title
* MMA Fighting: Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa result: strickland wins unanimous decision