Sean Strickland, a former UFC middleweight champion, found himself in a contentious situation following his performance at UFC 312. His coach, Eric Nicksick, offered public criticism that significantly irked Strickland.

A Troubled Championship Rematch

Nicksick, the head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, has been Strickland’s chief cornerman since his ascension to the middleweight division. He played a pivotal role in guiding Strickland to the top and securing his title victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023. Their partnership seemed solid when Strickland got the chance to defend his championship again against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312.

However, Strickland’s performance in the rematch was less than stellar. Despite enduring through a broken nose for much of the fight, he completed five rounds in a unanimous decision loss to Du Plessis. Following the defeat, Nicksick did not hesitate to share his thoughts.

Nicksick’s Harsh Criticism

In an interview on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Nicksick expressed his disappointment:

“I think he needs to evaluate what he wants to do in this sport,” Nicksick said. “If it’s just to make money, then that’s great. Let us know. I want to coach world champions, so my motivations are different. So I think that just to kind of show up and do that, and not really back it up, to me was just kind of uninspiring.”

Nicksick’s comments sparked tension between the coach and the fighter.

Strickland’s Response

In response to his coach’s words, Strickland took to Instagram to address the situation publicly. He highlighted the challenges he faced leading up to UFC 312, including the fight with a broken nose.

Strickland maintained a personal friendship with Nicksick but was not amenable to their professional relationship moving forward.

The Future of Their Partnership

Strickland clarified his stance on the professional relationship, stating:

“I like Eric,” Strickland said. “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*cking 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*cking have excuses, and they don’t f*cking matter.”

Strickland emphasized his belief that the circumstances surrounding the fight were challenging, but he distanced himself from Nicksick’s coaching role.

Conclusion

The rift between Sean Strickland and Eric Nicksick highlights the complexities and challenges within professional mixed martial arts. While personal bonds may remain intact, professional partnerships in MMA often require stricter alignment of expectations and performance standards.