Did Sean Strickland just fire his head coach?
It sure seems like the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion is distancing himself from his long-time coach, Eric Nicksick, after getting shutout via lopsided unanimous decision to Dricus du Plessis (watch highlights) at UFC 312 this past weekend (Sat., Feb. 8, 2025) in Australia.
But, it wasn’t because of anything that happened during UFC 312’s pay-per-view (PPV headliner or the chaotic training camp.
On the contrary. Strickland did not seem to enjoy Nicksick’s recent appearance on Ariel Helwani‘s show, during which the Xtreme Couture coach criticized his fighter’s performance, revealing their differing motivations at this stage of their relationship.
Nicksick wants to coach world champions and/or fighters who want to compete for championships, not necessarily fighters who want to chase big paydays. Of course, Strickland heard Nicksick’s interview and responded via social media.
“Alright, guys, you keep tagging me about this whole Eric thing, God dammit,” Strickland said. “I like Eric — he’s a friend of mine, and he’s gonna continue to be a friend of mine. Will he probably be in my corner? Probably not.
“We have so many great guys at Xtreme Couture,” Strickland continued. “Nate [Pettit], Ray Sefo, we have so many savages that I would love to corner me. The only reason why I’m making this video is because Eric had to go do a f—king podcast and become an influencer.
“You guys, I don’t fight to put belts on the wall,” Strickland concluded. “I don’t f—king fight because, you know, Eric wants to go on a fancy podcast. That’s not why I fight.”
Maybe “Tarzan” and Nicksick will find middle ground and continue to work together. Strickland has made it very clear in the past that he is a prizefighter, and money is one of his biggest motivations.
However, since losing the title to du Plessis back at UFC 297, it has been his mission to get it back because of its value.
For complete UFC 312 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
