Sean Strickland just defended his prized middleweight title for the very first time and lost. The 32-year-old was obviously fond of his title but lost it via split decision. In a recent interview, Strickland revealed that he had asked for a significant amount of money if he were to give Israel Adesanya a rematch.
So, how much did Strickland make against Dricus Du Plessis? His opponent, and now the title owner, is a fierce South African fighter with brutal power. The fight was destined to be electrifying and here’s what we can tell.
Will Sean Strickland make over a million?
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Let’s lay down the facts. Sean Strickland was reportedly paid a base salary of $500,000 for his title fight against Israel Adesanya. On top of that, the new champion made some more money. First off, he got bonuses which boosted his earnings more by $150,000. On top of that, he made $32,000 from sponsorships.
On top of that were the pay-per-view points. A massive figure of $850,000 came from his PPV points alone so his total earning from that fight stands at about $1.5 million. Meanwhile, the former champion, Israel Adesanya made even more money than Strickland who actually won the fight.
Adesanya had a base salary of $1 million. On top of that, you can add up the $42,000 he made from sponsorship and a whopping $2.5 million from PPV points alone. Clearly, being a long-reigning and highly active champion had its advantages.
Adesanya even made over $3 million when he fought and won against Alex Pereira. So, given all of that, perhaps it’s safe to assume that this time around, Strickland is guaranteed to make at least $1 million off of bonuses and his salary. Pay-per-view points can only help and bolster this amount. It’s all speculation, but safe speculation.
Drake has his bets on Strickland
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Sean Strickland is a brilliant fighter. And Canadian superstar Drake feels the same way. Perhaps that’s why he’s bet a massive amount on Strickland at UFC 297. Drake has put a bet of $700,000 on ‘Tarzan’. If he wins, he’d get just a little bit under $1.4 million.
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But Drake has lost his money on fights before. In fact, Drake often loses and whoever he bets on, ends up losing. This has been a rather popular concept in pop culture now. Drake has supported NBA teams, Soccer players, tennis players, and UFC fighters just to see them lose.
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And the said ‘Drake Curse’ continues.