Sean Strickland isnβt holding back after his coach, Eric Nicksick, publicly criticized his UFC 312 title-fight performance against Dricus Du Plessis. The former middleweight champion hinted that Nicksick will no longer be in his corner moving forward.
π₯ A Tense Fallout After Stricklandβs Loss
Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in their highly anticipated title-fight rematch last Saturday. Despite fighting through a broken nose, his lackluster performance drew criticism from Nicksick, the head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nicksick didnβt hold back:
π¬ “I think he needs to evaluate what he wants to do in this sport. If itβs just to make money, thatβs great. But I want to coach world champions. To just show up and not back it up was uninspiring.”
π‘ Strickland Fires Back
Strickland took to social media to address the criticism, shedding light on the struggles he faced in fight camp and making it clear that his relationship with Nicksick may change professionally.
π¬ “I like Eric. Heβs a friend and will continue to be. Will he probably be in my corner? Probably not. We have so many savages at Xtreme Couture who can corner me. But that entire fight camp was a fcking struggle. We all have excuses, and they donβt fcking matter.”
π Whatβs Next for Strickland?
As Strickland processes the loss, it remains to be seen who will take over as his lead cornerman moving forward. Will he stay at Xtreme Couture, or will he seek a fresh start elsewhere?
π’ What do you think about this fallout? Should Strickland stick with Nicksick or move on? Drop your thoughts in the comments! β¬οΈπ₯
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