Sean Strickland made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Adin Ross’ Brand Risk combat event, walking off the broadcast mid-show after tearing into the production on live air.
The former UFC middleweight champion was sitting on commentary duty alongside Ross for the streamer-backed fight card. He didn’t last the night.
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“I’ve never been part of anything so shameful in my life,” Strickland said about the event. “I hate myself. I feel like less of a man after being here. I’m sick to my fucking stomach.”
He also took a swing at streamer culture as a whole, saying he gets “so sad to think that the streamer community is going to inherit America” and that “it’s so bad I just want it all to stop.”
What Brand Risk actually is
Brand Risk is Ross’s amateur boxing and MMA series, built around influencers, celebrity guests, and novelty matchups designed to go viral. Think influencer boxing, but messier and more chaotic.
This particular card reportedly featured Ray J getting dropped by Supa Hot Fire, fights involving little people, overweight competitors, and appearances from figures like Tekashi 6ix9ine, Johnny Manziel, and MMA personality Nina Drama.
Strickland was there as part of the commentary panel, lending the show some legitimate combat-sports weight. That plan fell apart the moment he decided he’d seen enough.
That’s saying something. Strickland built his entire public persona on being unfiltered, unbothered, and openly hostile to corporate polish. If he thinks something is shameful, it’s a pretty specific bar to clear.
Brand Risk sits in the same lane as Misfits Boxing, Kingpyn, and the Jake Paul-era influencer boxing wave, where viral clips and celebrity drama matter more than technique. Ross’s version leans harder into the chaos, mixing rappers, internet personalities, and amateur fighters into one livestream package.
Plenty of professional fighters have cashed in on these events as commentators, guests, or sparring partners. UFC pay being what it is, the influencer money is real.
