What happened: On Ariel Helwani Show, host Ariel Helwani said he lacks sympathy for Sean Strickland's recent contract complaints because the middleweight champion signed a new deal just four months ago to secure his title shot over Nassourdine Imavov. Co-host Drake Riggs added that Strickland's talk of ending his UFC deal early or moving up to 205 pounds has no clear plan behind it.

Why it matters: Helwani contrasted Strickland's buyer's remorse with Francis Ngannou fighting out an eight-fight deal from 2017 to 2022, and recalled Jorge Masvidal dropping his own pay dispute to face Kamaru Usman on seven days' notice. The panel noted the UFC holds the contractual leverage and would not let Strickland clear out light heavyweight contenders before leaving to box.

What to watch: Riggs and Petesy Carroll said they expect Strickland's outburst to subside and end with a middleweight title defense against Imavov rather than the UFC stripping him of the 185-pound belt.