Sean Strickland’s Coach Sounds Off After UFC 312 Disappointing Defeat: I want to Coach Champs
Following Sean Strickland’s recent defeat against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312, his head coach Eric Nicksick voiced strong criticism of Strickland’s performance in an interview with Ariel Helwani.
Sean Strickland’s Coach Disappointed
During the UFC 312 championship bout, Nicksick repeatedly urged Sean Strickland to deviate from his predictable fighting style. Despite a year of preparation with a top-tier coaching team, Strickland repeated the same jab-heavy strategy from their previous match. Nicksick was heard advising Strickland to diversify his attacks, but Strickland did not heed the advice.
Speakuing in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Eric Nicksick said:
“He needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport. If its just to make money, great, let us know. I want to coach world champs, so my motivations are different. For him to show up and not back it up was uninspiring”
Nicksick said Strickland needs to evaluate his motivations in the sport. He added that Strickland’s failure to deliver on his promises was uninspiring and disappointing. The loss at UFC 312 marks Strickland’s second defeat to Du Plessis, diminishing the immediate prospects of another title shot unless circumstances drastically change.
The fight resulted in a unanimous decision victory for Du Plessis, with one notable moment being when Du Plessis broke Strickland’s nose in the fourth round. Despite the injury, Strickland completed the fight, though he was unable to regain control.
Following the match, Strickland’s performance has been met with mixed reactions. While some observers have criticized Strickland’s performance, others, like former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, have accused Strickland of “basically quitting” after breaking his nose. Din Thomas has also criticized Strickland for not living up to his pre-fight promises, saying that Strickland is not who he says he is.
Sean Strickland and his coaching team will need to evaluate his fighting style and his future in the sport. The uninspiring loss did little to grow his fan base or capture UFC gold. The future for Strickland in the UFC middleweight division looks dubious.
