“I Know What He Fights for… He Couldn’t Protect” – Insider to Sean Strickland Makes a Heartfelt Confession on Former UFC Champ

Sean Strickland put up a mountain of a performance at UFC 297. After weeks of a brilliant build-up, the fight was down and dirty. The champion got punched hard in the face, bled, got taken down a few times, but he kept going forward. In the end, he came up short but not for the lack of trying his best.

Every fighter has a reason to keep going. For some, it’s money, for some, fame. Then there are those who know nothing else and then, perhaps, there are the likes of Sean Strickland. What does he fight for? Here’s his coach Eric Nicksick’s take on it.

Sean Strickland’s coach explains his reason ‘why?’

Every MMA enthusiast has seen the episode of Theo Von’s This Past Week episode with Sean Strickland. If not, many have at least seen that little clip of the former champion breaking down recalling his past. A grown man, a champion, who is as tough as nails couldn’t hold the tears back.

‘Tarzan’ has been open about his abusive past and his complicated relationship with his father. Violence and abuse is nothing new to Strickland, and it still haunts him. Beneath all the bravado, humor, and unfiltered opinions is a man harboring trauma that should have never come his way as a child.

“We are all fighting for something,” Eric Nicksick wrote in an Instagram comment about Strickland’s loss. “I know who he fights for, and that’s the younger version of himself. The one that he couldn’t protect then. Glad he won that round, but it was too little too late, apparently. On to the next.”

The comment was found under a video of the coach relentlessly asking the fighter to win that particular round. And he did try to, but unfortunately, it still went down to a split decision loss to his powerful opponent, Dricus Du Plessis. The new champion was quick to acknowledge Strickland’s brilliance too.

Dricus Du Plessis shows his respect

If selling a fight is one bank of a river, perhaps fighting it is the other. Du Plessis and Strickland abused each other till the teeth shudder during the build-up to their bloody finale. They brawled, sent out threats, and brought up childhood memories. But when the South African had won, he had nothing but praise.

Watch This Story: Jorge Masvidal And Chael Sonnen Go Back And Forth 

“Sean Strickland is an absolute warrior and I have the world of respect for him,” Du Plessis said once the belt was on his waist. Clearly, some things are just a part of the business and you just have to get used to it all. ‘Tarzan’s loss is just another roadblock for him to get going and get better. It’s like Coach Nicksick said, “On to the next”.

Also Read: ‘He Has Always Been Very Respectful’- Hours Before UFC 297, Dricus Du Plessis Makes Shocking Revelation About ‘Nice Guy’ Sean Strickland Despite Their Feud