Last week, renowned MMA coach and Xtreme Couture head honcho, Eric Nicksick, found himself under fire after publicly criticizing his mentee, Sean Strickland, for his lackluster performance at UFC 312 earlier this month in the title rematch against Dricus Du Plessis. During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s show, Nicksick remarked, “I think he needs to evaluate what he wants to do in this sport. 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.”

These comments ignited a wave of controversy among fans and analysts, with many questioning the ethics of publicly criticizing a fighter. Despite his polarizing reputation, Sean Strickland found it inappropriate for a coach to publicly call out his mentee. In response, ‘Tarzan’ posted a nearly four-minute video stating that while he would “continue to be friends” with Nicksick, he also mentioned that Nicksick “probably not” would be in his corner moving forward.

The fallout from this, even as time passed, continued to grab attention, particularly from UFC veteran Matt Brown, who voiced his disapproval of Nicksick’s approach. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Brown said, “I don’t think you should criticize your fighter publicly.”

This prompted Nicksick to reflect on his actions and admit his mistake. In an Instagram comment, he wrote, “@iamtheimmortal I agree, Matt, looking back at it I made a mistake. My true intentions were to try and motivate him [Sean Strickland] publicly, and that was a miscalculation on my part.”

Despite the challenges faced by Nicksick, especially after Strickland’s second consecutive defeat to Dricus Du Plessis, leaving the American with a 0-2 record against ‘Stillknocks’, this isn’t the first time the verbose American has clashed with his gym. Strickland’s outspoken and unfiltered nature has often led to friction, causing him to be kicked out of several gyms. Consequently, ‘Tarzan’ has had to switch gyms multiple times. Now, let’s hear what the former champion’s ex-training partner has to say about his behavior.

Dan Henderson reveals why Sean Strickland was kicked out of Team Quest

Throughout his MMA career, Sean Strickland has trained at several prestigious gyms, including RVCA Training Center, Syndicate MMA, and most recently, Xtreme Couture. However, his erratic behavior and impulsive attitude have been significant factors in his inability to stay at any gym for an extended period. Known for his aggressive demeanor, trash-talking, and unfiltered nature, ‘Tarzan’ is someone who often speaks or acts without considering the consequences.

A prime example of this occurred last year when he clashed with streamer Sneako at the UFC PI gym, leaving the streamer bloodied. Sean Strickland also spent a period training at Team Quest, where he worked alongside Dan Henderson, who acted as both a mentor and training partner.

Despite the American’s value as a training partner, Henderson became frustrated by his constant trash-talking. In a 2023 interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Henderson explained the reason Strickland was let go from Team Quest after three years: “He was at my gym for about three years. We kind of had to let him go. He just gets too involved talking s–t about people. I liked him in the gym, I liked him there—he was a great training partner. You need at least one guy in your gym who does that, who goes hard and makes everyone else push themselves harder when they’re going against him, so I liked it.”

What are your thoughts on the ongoing controversy between Sean Strickland and Eric Nicksick? Do you believe the renowned coach was right to criticize his fighter publicly, or do you think it was a mistake? Share your opinion below.