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Sean Strickland’s Coach Sounds Off After UFC 312 Disappointing Defeat: I want to Coach Champs

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…

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.

Coach Eric Nicksick Gives Brutal Assessment Of Sean Strickland After UFC 312: ‘To Show Up And Do That…Uninspiring’

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been receiving plenty of flak for his defeat this past weekend, and it’s clear that even his own team is under no illusion about their man’s underperformance. Strickland vowed to put on a war in pursuit of redemption against Dricus Du Plessis — the man who took the […]

Strickland vowed to put on a war in pursuit of redemption against Dricus Du Plessis — the man who took the 185-pound gold from him early last year — in the UFC 312 main event on Feb. 8.

But in his return to the site where he shockingly dethroned Israel Adesanya in 2023, the polarizing American was unable to repeat the feat. Instead, the South African once again got the better of him on the scorecards, this time much more definitively.

The defeated challenger has been criticized for not letting his hands go and putting any sort of pressure on the champ throughout the five-round contest. And perhaps the most brutally honest take to date has come from the lips of his head coach.

During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Nicksick described his frustrations as he watched Strickland’s lackluster display from the corner inside Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

“I think (Strickland) needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport,” Nicksick said. “If it’s just to make money, then that’s great. Let us know. I wanna coach world champions. My motivations are different. Just to kind of show up and do that and not really back it up, to me, was just kind of uninspiring.

“It was just uninspired fighting to me. It just seemed like (Strickland) was sleepwalking. It was tough, man,” Nicksick continued. “To travel all the way (to Australia) — and let’s not forget, this is a title fight…I take these title fights very seriously. I was just disappointed, man.”

It remains to be seen how Strickland will react to Nicksick’s stance, and what kind of conversations the two have had behind closed doors in the aftermath of Saturday’s pay-per-view event Down Under.

“He’s No Bart Simpson” UFC Veteran Hits Back at Critics of Sean Strickland’s Approach in Title Fight Loss

UFC heavyweight veteran Brendan Schaub recently shared his thoughts on Sean Strickland’s performance at UFC 312, where Strickland lost…

UFC heavyweight veteran Brendan Schaub recently shared his thoughts on Sean Strickland’s performance at UFC 312, where Strickland lost to middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision. Schaub defended Strickland against critics who questioned his approach in the fight, particularly those who expected him to take more risks in the later rounds.

Sean Strickland’s Fighting Style

Sean Strickland faced criticism from analysts and fans for failing to live up to his pre-fight promises of an all-out war. Despite suffering a broken nose during the fight, Strickland continued but struggled to mount a significant offensive against du Plessis. Analysts like Din Thomas criticized Strickland for not matching his bold personality with his in-cage performance, stating, “He’s not the guy who’s going to go to the death.

On Sean Strickland’s fighting style, Brendan Schaub said:

“Sean Strickland didn’t get to be middleweight of the world by fighting stupid. He’s down 3 rounds and ‘everyone’s like I thought you were going to go out of your shield’. What does that even mean? Throw caution to the wind, run face first like you’re Lisa or Bart Simpson, and just get knocked out. Do you know how good DDP is?”

Brendan Schaub also took the opportunity to highlight the immense talent of Dricus du Plessis, who has now solidified his place as one of the most dangerous fighters in the middleweight division. Urging fans to recognize the level of competition Strickland faced as Du Plessis executed a near-flawless performance to retain his title, leaving little room for Strickland to adjust or take risks.

Schaub’s defense adds a nuanced perspective to the ongoing debate about Strickland’s fighting style, suggesting that pragmatism often outweighs reckless aggression in high-stakes bouts. Meanwhile, Strickland has maintained a positive outlook post-fight, reflecting on his loss and injury with resilience on social media.

UFC’s Sean Strickland Questions His Donald Trump Vote: ‘Did We Make a Mistake?’

The outspoken former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland has recently expressed doubts about his decision to vote for Donald Trump. In a tweet posted on February 11, 2025, Strickland criticized Trump for deviating from the “America First&#…

Sean Strickland Questions His Donald Trump Vote

Sean Strickland has recently voiced strong criticism of U.S. financial aid to Israel, questioning the priorities of the American government. In a tweet, Strickland expressed frustration over billions of dollars being allocated to foreign causes, such as Israel, while domestic issues like urban decay remain unaddressed.

This marks a shift in tone for the former UFC champion, who has often defended Israel in public discourse but has also criticized the U.S. government’s extensive funding of allies such as Israel. Seab Strickland’s remarks reflect a broader critique among some Americans who feel that foreign aid contradicts the “America First” agenda that prioritizes domestic welfare over international commitments. Additionally, Strickland has voiced hostility towards both Muslims and Jewish people saying they are incompatible with America.

On X, Sean Strickland Tweeted:

“Man if Trump keeps this bs up I’m about to start waving a Palestinian flag.. American cities are shitholes and you wanna go spend billions on this dumpster fire.. Did we make a mistake?! This ain’t America first..”

While Strickland has previously aligned himself with conservative values and supported Trump’s policies he has also been critical of modern-day Republican inconsistencies. Additionally, Strickland has drawn controversial comparisons between Donald Trump rallies and historic fascist propaganda speeches.

Whether his criticisms signal a broader shift in his political stance or remain isolated frustrations, they reinforce Sean Strickland’s reputation as one of MMA’s most polarizing figures both inside and outside the cage.

Luke Rockhold Slams Sean Strickland For ‘B*tching Out’ After Nose Break vs. Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 312

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland continues to be the recipient of criticism for his latest performance. Strickland fell to a 1-2 record since winning the gold in August 2023 this past weekend. His memorable title win over Israel Adesanya was quickly followed by the end of his reign courtesy of Dricus Du Plessis 13 […]

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland continues to be the recipient of criticism for his latest performance.

Strickland fell to a 1-2 record since winning the gold in August 2023 this past weekend. His memorable title win over Israel Adesanya was quickly followed by the end of his reign courtesy of Dricus Du Plessis 13 months ago, and the South African once again got the better of the polarizing American on Saturday.

The pair ran it back Down Under in Sydney, Australia, headlining the UFC 312 pay-per-view. Strickland didn’t come close to redemption, instead suffering a lopsided decision defeat at the hands of “Stillknocks,” whose punches even resulted in a badly broken nose for the challenger.

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, another ex-UFC middleweight champ in Luke Rockhold gave his assessment of Strickland’s display.

Like many in the MMA community, the 40-year-old was not impressed — to say the least…

“If someone breaks your nose, you gotta fight like a f*cking man and sack up,” Rockhold said. “This motherf*cker talks such a big game and then he b*tches out and basically quits in a fight after he breaks his nose.

“When does (Strickland) ever f*cking put his ass on the line and f*cking bite down and really go for it through a whole process of a fight, not just the last 10 seconds of a round? Look at him out there,” Rockhold added.

Strickland has long faced heavy flak for his fight style, which sees a low-aggression approach follow fight weeks that usually involve proclamations of an impending bloody “war.”

The likes of Demetrious Johnson have called on the former champ to adjust his style following two defeats to Du Plessis in his last three fights. Whether or not he heeds that advice remains to be seen.

Demetrious Johnson Tells Sean Strickland To ‘Swallow His Ego’ & Change His Style After UFC 312

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson thinks it’s time for Sean Strickland to change his ways after a second championship defeat in the span of three fights. Strickland returned to action in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view, challenging for Dricus Du Plessis’ middleweight title in Sydney, Australia. Having had the gold taken away by […]

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson thinks it’s time for Sean Strickland to change his ways after a second championship defeat in the span of three fights.

Strickland returned to action in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view, challenging for Dricus Du Plessis’ middleweight title in Sydney, Australia. Having had the gold taken away by narrow margins opposite Du Plessis 13 months ago, the polarizing American was looking for revenge Down Under.

But he failed in that pursuit, instead falling to a lopsided decision defeat to the South African — and suffering a gruesome broken nose in the process.

The challenger utilized his usual limited, non-aggressive offense. Coach Eric Nicksick’s pleas for more from his student fell on deaf ears, and one prominent ex-champ believes Strickland’s current style has taken him as far as it can.

“Sean Strickland has a style where he would not deviate from it,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “In order to get better in this sport of mixed martial arts, you have to take the time, swallow your pride, swallow your ego, and put yourself in the position where you’re going to force yourself to evolve and get better and and learn new tools.

“That’s the only way you’re going to become a better fighter in this game. Because otherwise, people who are younger, who will take the time to evolve and get better, are always going to beat you,” Johnson added.

Strickland will now return to the gym and begin his path back to another shot at regaining the belt. Meanwhile, champ Du Plessis is expected to next face a challenge from undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev.