O’Malley Blames Paramount deal for Strickland’s presser getting cut short
· Yahoo Sports
Sean
O'Malley believes the
UFC, by itself, doesn’t want to restrict speech in any
way.
Sean Strickland knocked out Anthony Hernandez in the third-round of their UFC Houston headliner last Saturday. Known for his controversial and unhinged opinions, fans were eagerly waiting for Strickland’s post-fight press conference. The former UFC middleweight champion met the expectations by accusing Hernandez’s coach, Jim West, of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. However, Strickland’s mic was muted soon after, and the press conference abruptly ended.
O’Malley believes the UFC’s new Paramount deal is responsible for Strickland’s presser getting cut short. During the ESPN era, UFC numbered events had to be purchased on a pay-per-view basis. Meanwhile, the Fight Nights could be viewed on an ESPN+ subscription. O’Malley recalls that there was absolutely no restriction on speech after numbered cards during the ESPN era. However, fighters would be instructed to avoid cussing after Fight Nights, which were broadcast on ESPN+. The ESPN era ended as the UFC signed a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, which came into effect starting this year. Fans are now able to watch all UFC events with a Paramount+ subscription. O’Malley believes there is some censorship on speech as even numbered UFC events are broadcast on Paramount.
“This is Paramount, not pay-per-view,” O’Malley said. “On pay-per-view, we were able to say f—k, we could say whatever we want. The fight nights were on ESPN+, so they're like, hey, don't cuss in your after-fight speech… [Now] even if it’s a numbered event, we’re on Paramount. The UFC doesn't really limit what we say. $7.7 billion dollars – the UFC is probably like, ‘Oh, Strickland has the mic.’”
Sean Strickland knocked out Anthony Hernandez in the third-round of their UFC Houston headliner last Saturday. Known for his controversial and unhinged opinions, fans were eagerly waiting for Strickland’s post-fight press conference. The former UFC middleweight champion met the expectations by accusing Hernandez’s coach, Jim West, of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. However, Strickland’s mic was muted soon after, and the press conference abruptly ended.
O’Malley believes the UFC’s new Paramount deal is responsible for Strickland’s presser getting cut short. During the ESPN era, UFC numbered events had to be purchased on a pay-per-view basis. Meanwhile, the Fight Nights could be viewed on an ESPN+ subscription. O’Malley recalls that there was absolutely no restriction on speech after numbered cards during the ESPN era. However, fighters would be instructed to avoid cussing after Fight Nights, which were broadcast on ESPN+. The ESPN era ended as the UFC signed a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, which came into effect starting this year. Fans are now able to watch all UFC events with a Paramount+ subscription. O’Malley believes there is some censorship on speech as even numbered UFC events are broadcast on Paramount.
New Protocol?
“This is Paramount, not pay-per-view,” O’Malley said. “On pay-per-view, we were able to say f—k, we could say whatever we want. The fight nights were on ESPN+, so they're like, hey, don't cuss in your after-fight speech… [Now] even if it’s a numbered event, we’re on Paramount. The UFC doesn't really limit what we say. $7.7 billion dollars – the UFC is probably like, ‘Oh, Strickland has the mic.’”
Sean O’Malley says the UFC is being careful with its $7.7B Paramount deal after Sean Strickland’s mic was cut.
"This is Paramount, not pay-per-view. On pay-per-view, we were able to say f***, we could say whatever we want. The fight nights were on ESPN+, so they're like, hey,… pic.twitter.com/wjFcFkzj9W— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 24, 2026
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