Khamzat Chimaev’s Achilles’ Heel? Sean Strickland’s Coach Has Some Ideas
Sean Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick believes he knows what could be the right tactic to defeat Khamzat Chimaev.
Later this year, Khamzat Chimaev will battle it out with Robert Whittaker in the middleweight division. If he picks up the win, there’s an excellent chance he’ll go on to fight for the title.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is unbeaten in mixed martial arts. Some feel as if he’s destined to carry on that trend throughout the rest of his career, whereas others are of the belief that he can be beaten.
Eric Nicksick, during a recent interview, gave his thoughts on the matter.
Nicksick’s Khamzat Chimaev view
“I mean, it’s a great fight. You know, I think Rob has been somewhat overlooked in his last few fights, especially with the way he got beat by Dricus [Du Plessis],” Nicksick said. “Then he comes back the way he has. Robert Whittaker, I think, would have been a champion for a long time if it hadn’t been for Israel Adesanya. It’s like there’s always someone’s Kryptonite that comes into play…
“This is the matchup we need to see from both fighters to see how good Khamzat actually is. Would you be surprised if Khamzat blew through Robert Whittaker? No, you wouldn’t. Would you be surprised if Whittaker blew through Khamzat? No, you wouldn’t. So this is just one of those fights where you really want to see how good Khamzat truly is.”
“I think the pace; I think somebody that can drag it into deep waters that we saw with Usman, that we saw in a three-rounder with Gilbert Burns, right? In a five-rounder, it’s always going to be the question mark because of Khamzat’s style of always trying to finish fights and get guys out of there right away. Can that be his Kryptonite? Is a guy who’s durable, who can last, get through rounds one and two, and then where does Khamzat fare in the deeper rounds? That is the question mark. We haven’t seen the unknown—that’s all we’re asking, and how well he does in these situations.”
Quotes via MMA News
