Sean Strickland is set to fight #7 ranked Paulo Costa at UFC 302 and this bout has clear title shot implications as well. The winner is going to be one step closer to their dream of gaining the gold. Ahead of the bout, the two fighters indulged in some trash talk during the pre-match press conference with Strickland, even promising to cause a dent in Costa’s face. The 33-year-old is famous for his controversial remarks and daunting presence. However, lately, the fans have been worried about Strickland being too soft, especially after a video of him giving his puppy swimming lessons went viral. 

The former champion’s coach, Eric Nicksick, was recently involved in a candid conversation where he seemed a little concerned about how soft Strickland could become. However, the coach also revealed one person who manages to keep him in check. 

Sean Strickland’s coach wants to keep him on the edge

Strickland (28-6) could benefit from sophistication, according to Nicksick, and his coach does not want him to become soft. He is taking on Paulo Costa (14-3) in a five-round bout at UFC 302 and this fight can secure him a title bout if he wins. In a recent interaction with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Eric Nicksick reflected on the UFC fighter’s empathetic and compassionate side. According to the coach, Tarzan’s girlfriend KJ, as well as other members at the gym, works hard to refine some of Strickland’s edges as they do not want the fighter to turn completely soft as well.

The coach reiterated how Strickland’s girlfriend is a huge source of comfort and discipline to him. “Yeah, of course, man, he’s a big ol’ softy bro. Like 100%. That’s the thing with him, it’s just keeping his edge, and all the while you try to refine him a little better too as you hang out with him more and more. His girlfriend, K.J.’s been a huge godsend to Sean and his life. I think between myself and K.J., the gym and Danny Davis and the bunch of us, we don’t want to turn this dude soft,” remarked the coach.

In the past, even Strickland has been quite vocal about the soothing impact his girlfriend has had on him. The fighter likes to keep his personal life extremely private and thus no information is available about his partner apart from her initials KJ. Notably, a few months back, the 33-year-old had taken to his Instagram handle to flaunt his girlfriend and confirm his relationship status. Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Strickland’s coach has reflected on the fighter’s emotional side.

Coach helped Sean Strickland deal with his emotions

A few months back, footage of Sean Strickland breaking down in Theo Von’s podcast had gone viral, and one of the most controversial fighters stunned the fans with his emotions. He is known for his outspoken personality, but his willingness to discuss his dark childhood had earned a different respect from his fans. This was followed by a big controversy as Tarzan and Dricus Du Plessis fought at UFC 296, but before that, there was a promotional press conference. This was not a very smooth conference because their tempers were tested after the 30-year-old fighter targeted the champion’s childhood trauma.

The duo got into a brawl, and the comments hurt Strickland. His coach helped him deal with the controversy and emotions. Erik Nicksick spoke to Shak MMA about this and said, “He has really leaned on us. He’s leaned on his team. Uh, he got a little emotional today after practice because it was his last part at Xtreme Couture. And the words that he said only thing that really translates to me is that he has a family now.”

“You know the way that he said it, and you know I don’t want to give away what he said. But um the just that I got was you know I have a home thank you guys for giving me a home. Um, and I think that’s where a lot of people misunderstand. I guess him for a lot of things. For lack of better words,” the coach concluded. 

Do you think Strickland will win the UFC 302 bout and keep his emotions in check? Drop your views in the comments below.