Should Sean Strickland really be facing so much backlash for his loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312? Many fans and critics have been quick to throw negative remarks at ‘Tarzan’ after his defeat. Former fighter and ring-side analyst Din Thomas lambasted the former champ after the event.

He said, “We just have to admit it now. We have to admit it: Sean Strickland is not who he says he is. He’s not the guy who’s going to go to the death! To the death! He didn’t go to the death. He didn’t even go deep. I’m not saying he’s not a great fighter. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at. But he’s not who he says he is. We’ve got to admit that.”

However, two UFC legends are pushing back against the criticism. During a media session ahead of filming The Ultimate Fighter 33, UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen stepped in to defend the American middleweight. “We are kind of piling upon this guy,” Cormier reprimanded, with Sonnen agreeing, “Yeah, did he do bad? I was proud of his efforts.”

The former double champ went on to stress that winning and losing are part of the sport, pointing out that Strickland made the right call by not recklessly charging forward, especially after breaking his nose. DC explained, “Like you have the right to pivot and turn.” Sonnen echoed this sentiment, adding that injuries like a broken nose or finger might seem small but are incredibly painful. Despite that, Strickland showed grit by resetting his nose mid-fight and continuing, fully aware of the uphill battle he faced.

Sonnen didn’t hold back in his defense of Strickland, saying, “So he could stay for another 12 minutes taking an a-s whopping because it was honorable, or he could quit. He chose to stay there and take an a-s whopping. So people keep saying that Sean did not put effort into Daniel—it’s not that I saw. It was a fair adjudication. It turns out DDP is better than any of us knew he was. Turns out he is better under this game of unified rules than Sean is.”

Despite Strickland’s grit, criticism poured in from all sides. Former UFC champion Luke Rockhold ripped Tarzan’s performance into shreds. He said, “We all watched the fight. We all heard this guy talk, ‘To the death, Dutchman, to the death,'” Rockhold said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

“This mother—ker talks such a big game, and then he b—hes out and basically quits in the fight after he breaks his nose. What are you worried about? The world title is on the line. That’s all you want, that’s all you’ve dreamed of, and you’re more worried about fixing your f–king nose than winning and biting down on your mouthpiece and doing what you’ve got to do? I mean, it shows your true character.”

Surprisngly, Strickland’s own coach Eric Nicksick took shots at him for failing to reclaim the middleweight title he lost to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. However, Sonnen argued that the backlash was unnecessary. And for Nicksick, it came with consequences—Strickland is officially done training with him.

Sean Strickland and Eric Nicksick part ways

Strickland had another shot at reclaiming the belt against Dricus Du Plessis, but that opportunity slipped through his fingers like sand. This time, he didn’t charge forward like a fearless warrior—instead, he seemed more focused on not losing than on winning. The fight ended in a unanimous decision victory for Du Plessis, while Strickland walked away with both a broken nose and shattered ambitions.

According to his coach, Eric Nicksick, this fight may have served as a harsh wake-up call for the former champion. “We have to be real,” Nicksick admitted. “It was a very underwhelming performance in a title fight. There are fighters in this sport who never even get the chance to compete for a championship. That alone should be enough to get you motivated and off the couch.”

As Strickland’s coach, Nicksick had expected to see the hunger and desperation he often preaches about, especially after all his bold declarations of destroying opponents. However, Nicksick also took some of the blame, acknowledging that the entire team had a role in the disappointing outcome.

But the criticism seems to have driven a wedge between fighter and coach. Strickland recently responded in a video, hinting at an impending split: “I like Eric—he’s a friend of mine, and he’s gonna continue to be a friend of mine. Will he be in my corner? Probably not.” So, what’s next for Strickland? Let us know your thoughts below.