Shawn Ryan enlisted at 17, BUD/S at 18
Shawn Ryan enlisted in the Navy at 17, was in BUD/S by 18, and was at a SEAL team by age 20.
Snapshot · The Shawn Ryan Show
#325 Sean Strickland - The Most Controversial Fighter in the UFC Opens Up Like Never Before
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Jul 27, 2026
Where this was said
UFC Pay, Poverty, and Why Foreigners Excel in MMA
At 12:01 · chapter starts 12:00
Starting from a comparison of SEAL pay ($65K for Ryan as an enlisted operator), Strickland pivots to the economics of being a professional MMA fighter. UFC entry contracts pay $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win — after taxes and management cuts, a losing fighter might net $7,000–$8,000. Strickland was making $1,000 per fight in local circuits and sleeping on a mat in his coach's gym. He explains why foreigners disproportionately excel in the UFC: for a Brazilian kid from a favela, even losing UFC money is life-changing, while American fighters can barely cover rent. He's glad he makes good money now but calls the pay structure 'predatory' and tells anyone interested: don't join the UFC.
SEAL Tier 1 Selection: The Hardest Thing Is Earning Your Right Every Single Day
Ryan describes the psychological weight of Tier 1 units: you're being judged every single day, you can be kicked out for not measuring up, and you have nightmares of failing in the kill house or losing your weapon. Men who try out and don't make it do so in front of all their closest friends, then go home and try again — sometimes making it on the second attempt.
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