“Was Just a Struggle”- Sean Strickland Goes Off on Eric Nicksick After Coach Creates Controversy After UFC 312

Sean Strickland has made it clear that his longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, will most likely no longer be in his corner after UFC 312. After losing his middleweight title rematch to Dricus Du Plessis in a one-sided decision, Strickland came under fire from both fans and his own coach. Nicksick, commenting on The Ariel Helwani Show, questioned Strickland’s motivation and called his performance uninspiring. That didn’t sit well with Strickland, who responded with a fiery social media video.

Strickland acknowledged his friendship with Nicksick but made it apparent that their working relationship could be coming to an end. ‘Tarzan’ felt the coach’s decision to vent his emotions publicly rather than personally was unnecessary, and he was not going to let it go. The American fighter further stated that his fight camp was difficult due to a fractured arm and a staph infection, but he refused to make excuses for his performance. However, Sean Strickland refuted the notion that he lacked passion for the sport, emphasizing that fighting had improved his life in ways that go beyond belts and money.

He said, “I like Eric. He’s a friend of mine. He’s going to continue to be a friend of mine. Will he probably be in my corner? Probably not. We have so many great guys at Xtreme… We have so many savages that can corner me. But that entire fight camp was just a struggle. It was a f****** struggle, and we all have excuses as to why we didn’t win, or why we won, or we shouldn’t have won. We all f****** have excuses, and they don’t f****** matter. The only reason I’m making this video is because Eric had to go do a f—— podcast and become an influencer.” Strickland further disputed his coach’s question that the 33-year-old was fighting simply for financial gain. Strickland spoke on his experience, recalling how he struggled with self-esteem prior to entering the cage.

Fighting, for him, is more than just impressing coaches or collecting titles; it gives him a sense of purpose. Sean Strickland also thanked the sport and its fans for altering his life and promised to continue fighting for as long as he could. Despite losing the belt, ‘Tarzan’ stays committed to competing and progressing, with or without Nicksick by his side. But do you know that his coach wasn’t the only one who claimed he had lost the motivation to fight?

Din Thomas joins the rant against Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 rematch against ‘Stillknocks’ was intended to be his chance at redemption, but it turned out to be a one-sided fight. As a result, Eric Nicksick admitted on The Ariel Helwani Show that he was unhappy with Strickland’s attitude, calling it “sleepwalking” through a title bout and noting that Dricus Du Plessis deserved a more difficult challenge. He said, “It was a tough 25 minutes to travel all the way out there. Let’s not forget, this was a title fight. I take these title fights very seriously, and I don’t know. I was just very disappointed, man. I was disappointed with the whole entire outcome.” Nicksick compared the American fighter’s strategy to a weak football team that refuses to change its game plan, emphasizing that championship fights require risk-taking and creative thinking.

Even Din Thomas questioned Strickland’s actions following the loss, claiming that the limelight exposed a part of him that he had been trying to hide. The veteran analyst noted that, while Strickland’s pre-fight attitude suggested he was prepared for the task, he failed to back up his remarks during the bout. “When the lights hit you, the real you shows up,” Thomas said, adding that ‘Tarzan’ could no longer hide his actual persona from competition. Just like Nicksick, Thomas too claimed that Strickland had lost the “dog” attitude that once defined him and lacked the motivation to push through challenging times in the Octagon.

Despite the American fighter’s claims about a tough camp, Thomas dismissed this as a valid excuse. In fact, he argued that even if Strickland had a condition, it should not have affected his effort or motivation in the fight. “At the end of the day, that doesn’t affect your effort.” Well, it seems like Eric Nicksand was quite right about his claims, as even Din Thomas had the same pointers to share, such as Strickland’s longtime friend. With Du Plessis securing his second title defense, ‘Tarzan’s’ future remains unknown since he has yet to prove that he can recover from this loss. Meanwhile, ‘Stillknocks’ is set to fight the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, who is emerging as one of the most formidable powers in the middleweight division. What do you think? Will Sean Strickland be able to find his way to the title picture again? Let us know in the comments.