Jake Paul Invited Sean Strickland to Join Promotion
The influencer-turned-promoter extended an offer after the middleweight champion threatened to leave the UFC.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Mixed Martial Arts
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Jake Paul has invited UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland to join Most Valuable Promotions. The offer followed Strickland's public threats to vacate his title and depart the organization due to dissatisfaction with his compensation.
Why it matters
The invitation marks a continued effort by Paul to recruit high-profile UFC talent to his fledgling promotion. This follows a similar public recruitment attempt involving heavyweight champion Jon Jones earlier this year.
Most Valuable Promotions has hosted only 1 MMA event since its inception. The firm is currently attempting to build its roster by targeting established stars who have expressed public grievances regarding their UFC status.
The players
Jake Paul
He is a professional boxer and the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions.
Sean Strickland
He is the current UFC middleweight champion who has voiced concerns about his pay.
Jon Jones
He is a UFC heavyweight champion who previously requested a release from the promotion.
Dana White
He is the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship who manages fighter contracts.
Most Valuable Promotions
This is a sports promotion company founded by Jake Paul that is expanding into MMA.
The details
Jake Paul used social media to challenge Strickland to confirm his contract standing before reaching out to his promotion. The outreach stems from Strickland's recent threats to quit the UFC, a move similar to Jon Jones, who previously requested a release following a dispute with Dana White.
Timeline
Sean Strickland threatened to vacate his title throughout 2026.
Jake Paul offered Jon Jones a contract earlier in 2026.
The Big Picture
This move follows the precedent of Jon Jones's 2026 release request from the UFC after a dispute with leadership. It highlights an emerging trend where independent promoters leverage athlete dissatisfaction to challenge the current UFC business model.
The potential departure of a middleweight champion would significantly impact the UFC's title rankings and future pay-per-view main events. Readers should monitor whether these public social media challenges translate into formal contract negotiations between the fighters and the new organization.
The takeaway
Fighter compensation disputes are increasingly being aired publicly to test the viability of alternative promotion models. Athletes seeking to leverage their star power now have more vocal entities willing to challenge established league hierarchies.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Mixed Martial Arts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sportskeeda.
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