Sean Strickland has made it clear that his longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, will most likely no longer be in his corner after UFC 312. After losing his middleweight title rematch to Dricus Du Plessis in a one-sided decision, Strickland came under fire from both fans and his own coach. Nicksick, commenting on The Ariel Helwani Show, questioned Strickland’s motivation and called his performance uninspiring. That didn’t sit well with Strickland, who responded with a fiery social media video.
Strickland acknowledged his friendship with Nicksick but made it apparent that their working relationship could be coming to an end. ‘Tarzan’ felt the coach’s decision to vent his emotions publicly rather than personally was unnecessary, and he was not going to let it go. The American fighter further stated that his fight camp was difficult due to a fractured arm and a staph infection, but he refused to make excuses for his performance. However, Sean Strickland refuted the notion that he lacked passion for the sport, emphasizing that fighting had improved his life in ways that go beyond belts and money.
He said, “I like Eric. He’s a friend of mine. He’s going to continue to be a friend of mine. Will he probably be in my corner? Probably not. We have so many great guys at Xtreme… We have so many savages that can corner me. But that entire fight camp was just a struggle. It was a f****** struggle, and we all have excuses as to why we didn’t win, or why we won, or we shouldn’t have won. We all f****** have excuses, and they don’t f****** matter. The only reason I’m making this video is because Eric had to go do a f—— podcast and become an influencer.” Strickland further disputed his coach’s question that the 33-year-old was fighting simply for financial gain. Strickland spoke on his experience, recalling how he struggled with self-esteem prior to entering the cage.
Fighting, for him, is more than just impressing coaches or collecting titles; it gives him a sense of purpose. Sean Strickland also thanked the sport and its fans for altering his life and promised to continue fighting for as long as he could. Despite losing the belt, ‘Tarzan’ stays committed to competing and progressing, with or without Nicksick by his side. But what did his coach say that got him so fired up?
Eric Nicksick’s comments that hurt Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 rematch against ‘Stillknocks’ was intended to be his chance at redemption, but it turned out to be a one-sided fight. Despite losing in their first round, Strickland never recovered his rhythm in the second. This allowed Dricus Du Plessis to dominate from start to finish. His lackluster performance did not sit well with his veteran coach, Eric Nicksick, who openly questioned the 33-year-old ‘s lack of effort.
Eric Nicksick admitted on The Ariel Helwani Show that he was unhappy with Strickland’s attitude, calling it “sleepwalking” through a title bout and noting that Du Plessis deserved a more difficult challenge. He said, “It was a tough 25 minutes to travel all the way out there. Let’s not forget, this was a title fight. I take these title fights very seriously, and I don’t know. I was just very disappointed, man. I was disappointed with the whole entire outcome.” Nicksick compared the American fighter’s strategy to a weak football team that refuses to change its game plan, emphasizing that championship fights require risk-taking and creative thinking.
The coach claimed that Strickland’s inability to adjust made the loss unavoidable. The most stinging remark, however, was when Eric Nicksick questioned Strickland’s motivations. He suggested that ‘Tarzan’ was simply fighting for money rather than the desire to be the best, and now their goals might no longer be aligned. Well, it looks like things have really fallen apart in Team Strickland. But what do you think? Do you agree with the coach’s assessment? Let us know in the comments.
The post “Was Just a Struggle”- Sean Strickland Goes Off on Eric Nicksick After Coach Creates Controversy After UFC 312 appeared first on EssentiallySports.