Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick didn’t mince words while
addressing Sean
Strickland’s latest loss.
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Strickland faced Dricus Du
Plessis in a title rematch at UFC 312
this past weekend in Sydney. Du Plessis dominated Strickland for 25
minutes to earn a unanimous decision win. While Strickland is
typically known as a defensive striker, the output seemed to be
below his usual standards. Nicksick could be seen visibly
frustrated in the corner as he failed to motivate Strickland to go
for broke even in the championship rounds.
Nicksick didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment with Strickland when
speaking of the loss. According to Nicksick, it was just
“uninspired fighting” on Strickland’s part on such a massive stage.
Nicksick urges Strickland to decide whether he really wants to
become a champ or is just in it for a payday.
“It was uninspired fighting,” Nicksick told Ariel Helwani. “It just seemed like he was
sleepwalking. It was tough man. I was just trying to take him out
of it. Through the rounds I didn’t know if he was just collecting
data in the beginning or if it was just a slow start or what was
going on. But as the rounds began to progress I could just tell
that it just didn’t feel like he was in it the way most of the
times that he is… Let’s not forget this is a title fight and I take
these title fights very seriously. I was just disappointed with the
whole entire outcome… I think he needs to evaluate what he wants to
do in the 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 just to show up and do that and not really
back it up – to me was just kind of uninspiring.”
Former foe Alex
Pereira, and his own coach, Plinio Cruz,
were also in Strickland’s corner at UFC 312. While Pereira isn’t
fluent in English, the light heavyweight champ’s expression was
enough for Nicksick to discern the disappointment.
“He leaned over a few times and he’s looking at me like, ‘What the
hell in going on with Sean?’” Nicksick said. “I’m looking at him
like, ‘Man, we need to get this out of him.’… But [Pereira] and
Plinio, great, great guys, love having them. So it was an honor to
have them in the corner.”