Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nikcik revealed there was always a risk that the former middleweight champion would not listen to his corner.
Strickland (28-6) is scheduled to face Paulo Costa (14-3) in the co-main event of UFC 302 on June 1st at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland’s only recent knockout loss was against Alex Pereira in 2022, when he inexplicably chose to stand in the pocket against the former Glory kickboxing champion. Costa is also known for his explosive style, and coach Nick Schick admitted there was always a chance Strickland would battle the Brazilian’s game.
“Of course, there’s always anxiety. He doesn’t listen,” Eric Nikcik told Sportskeeda MMA. “There are elements that I think need to be addressed. Especially in a five-round fight, it’s important for him to utilize his full MMA skillset. You’ve heard Sean and I say that many times. . And he will probably listen, but he will probably not listen.”
After losing to Pereira, Strickland suffered a split decision loss to Jared Cannonier. Strickland then bounced back with back-to-back wins and clinched the title shot, defeating Israel Adesanya in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Nick Schick said Strickland admitted his fault for not listening to his corner in the loss to Cannonier and made the necessary adjustments.
“Those are things I think I can trace back to the point. For example, when we lost to Jared Cannonier, there were certain things I was looking for that would ensure our win. Instead, we lost a close “split decision.” And we went back to square one, and he actually called me that Sunday and said, “I’m going to go back to square one. And he listened, and we won two in a row and won the title fight. ”
Strickland lost the title to Dorikas du Plessis via split decision at UFC 297 in January of this year. According to Nick Schick, if Strickland had listened to his corner, he could have secured his victory, and the former champion acknowledged that.
“Then we played against Dorikas and although the game was close, we had what we were looking for again and I think that solidified us to get the win,” Niksic said. “And we didn’t do that, but he said again, ‘Now I know what you’re talking about.’ That was a great thing for me and him as a coach and a fighter. It’s just a growing process. I hope he trusts our instincts outside the cage and follows suit to bring us another victory.”
Strickland vs. Costa’s upcoming fight will be a five-round fight, which is unusual for a non-title fight that is not a headliner. Nick Schick believes the conditions will favor Strickland, who boasts one of the best gas tanks in the middleweight division.
“We feel like that definitely gives us an advantage in terms of durability, pressure and the pace that Sean can maintain. We’ve seen what Sean can do in five rounds. He’s a gas pedal guy and you We’re going to stay in the face and push the pressure. So I think that’s definitely going to be an advantage for us in the fifth round.”
Nick Schick also shared details of Strickland’s grueling training regimen at the Extreme Couture Gym in Las Vegas. There he is constantly being pushed by Bellator MMA middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.
“Camp was really good. That’s what’s great about Sean. He’s always working, he’s always in the gym,” Nikcik said. “Last Monday, this guy sparred with Johnny Eblen for five rounds at 11 a.m. and then came back to my three-and-a-half hour pro practice, a grinder. We did about seven times and then we did wall work and drills. I mean, it’s a really, really difficult practice. [Strickland] And Evren is evenly matched every time he’s there. That’s why I like having Johnny in the room because those two inspire each other. ”
Nick Schick believes Strickland doesn’t need a judge against Costa.
“I think Sean can get him out of there by the fourth or fifth round,” he said.
