Sean Strickland stepped into the octagon at UFC 312 with hopes of reclaiming the middleweight title but his performance left many questioning his approach. Even his own coach Eric Nicksick was not impressed with what he saw in the main event against Dricus Du Plessis.
Nicksick calls Strickland’s performance uninspired
From the start Strickland struggled to apply pressure and never found his rhythm against Du Plessis who controlled the fight and secured a dominant decision win. Fans expected a war but instead witnessed a slow-paced battle that left even Strickland’s team frustrated.
Nicksick did not hold back when he spoke on The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned sharing his disappointment in what he felt was a lackluster effort.
“I think Strickland needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport” Nicksick said. “If it is just to make money then that is great. Let us know. I want to coach world champions. My motivations are different. Just to kind of show up and do that and not really back it up to me was just kind of uninspiring.”
Strickland who is known for his aggressive and unfiltered approach did not seem to have the same fire in his fight against Du Plessis. Nicksick admitted it was tough to watch from the corner.
“It was just uninspired fighting to me. It just seemed like Strickland was sleepwalking. It was tough man” he added. “To travel all the way to Australia and let’s not forget this is a title fight. I take these title fights very seriously. I was just disappointed man.”
The loss has now raised questions about Strickland’s future and whether he still has the hunger to compete at the highest level. With his coach publicly challenging his commitment it remains to be seen what changes he will make in his next fight.
