“Excuse King” Fan Reactions of Sean Strickland Firing Coach Eric Nicksick Has the MMA Community Divided
Fans are divided over Sean Strickland’s reaction to his UFC 312 loss and the fallout with his coach, Eric Nicksick. While some admire Strickland’s toughness others criticize his performance and lack of aggression against Dricus Du Plessis. Strickland had a list of issues with him, the fight, and his coach on social media in a recent post.
Sean Strickland Fires Coach Eric Nicksick
Sean Strickland recently responded to his coach Eric Nicksick’s public criticism of his performance in the UFC 312 title fight against Dricus Du Plessis. Nicksick had described Strickland’s showing as “uninspired” and “sleepwalking,” criticizing his lack of urgency and failure to adapt during the fight. The coach also questioned Strickland’s motivations in the sport, stating that he wanted to work with fighters aiming for championships.
In his response on social media, Sean Strickland acknowledged that his training camp was extremely challenging, citing issues such as a staph infection, a broken arm, and visa complications. Despite these struggles, he refused to make excuses for his loss, emphasizing that setbacks are part of the sport. Strickland expressed frustration with Nicksick airing grievances publicly and hinted at a professional split, stating that while they remain friends, Nicksick will “probably not” be in his corner moving forward. He also reaffirmed his commitment to fighting and vowed to return stronger.
UFC fans were mixed in their responses to the situation:
“Yes, time to move away to a different coach.”
“Excuse king “
“I think Eric was trying to light a fire under Sean’s ass. Sean seems hard to reach. He wasn’t listening to Eric in between rounds at all.”
“Embarrassing excuse making nonsense, dude got paid and lost his passion for fighting. Sad way to go out…”
“Talk like a bee, sting like a butterfly.”
“”No excuses.” 4 minute video of excuses. Dude cannot take criticism for sh*t lol.”
“As predicted Sean Strickland comes out with a laundry list of excuses for why he didn’t fight against Dricus He also says Eric Nicksick won’t be in his corner again after what he said on Ariel Helwani’s show
The fallout between Sean Strickland and his coach Eric Nicksick following UFC 312 has left fans deeply divided. While some admire Strickland’s resilience and ability to fight through adversity, others criticize his lack of aggression and failure to adapt during the bout. As the dust settles, it remains to be seen how this rift will impact Strickland’s future in the octagon.
