Eric Nicksick thought Sean Strickland did enough to win at UFC 297, but it just didn’t look that way.
[autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] thought [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] did enough to win at UFC 297.
Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost his middleweight title in a narrow split decision loss to [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Strickland’s head coach Nicksick was classy in his reaction to Du Plessis’ win. His initial thought is that his fighter won, but he plans on reassessing later.
“Congratulations to @dricusduplessis and his team. I never met a more classy opposing fighter during fight week, along with the skills to back it up. I’m happy for you, your team, and your country, you made them proud.
The fight was close. Close fights mean we needed to win the optics battle. Live, I had us winning 1,2, & 5, but all that matters are the 3 cage side. I’ll watch it again, to see where we/I can be better. Much love to everyone who supported us. On to the next!! #TTD ⚡︎
Strickland also thought he won the fight. He pointed to an alleged accidental clash of heads he said busted him open and impaired his vision. He was able to fight through it and won Round 5 on all three judges’ scorecards. In his post-fight news conference, Du Plessis could not remember a head clash, and no definitive clash was shown on any broadcast replays.
Du Plessis responded to Nicksick, showing him gratitude for his praise.
“Thank you so much for the kind words coach, you and the team are incredible and it was an honour to battle the best in the business. Thank you for the war and the true warrior like respect before and after the war.”
Eric Nicksick says the money Francis Ngannou paid him for the Tyson Fury fight exceeded anything in UFC and “literally brought me to tears.”
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s unprecedented departure from UFC to move into a boxing match with Tyson Fury was not only a lucrative decision for him, but for his team, as well.
Ngannou was one of the top storylines in combat sports in 2023 as he finally parted ways with the UFC early in the year. He signed with PFL for his MMA future, then managed to secure a fight with Fury which many believed was never going to happen for him.
Not only did Ngannou blow away expectations for his performance with a controversial split decision loss to Fury, but he seemingly got eight figures to do it. The exact specifics of Ngannou’s payday remain private due to the fact the fight took place in Saudi Arabia, but he’s made it clear the payout exceeded his UFC earnings by multiples.
The trickle-down effect of that purse was felt by those around him, too. One of Ngannou’s coaches, Eric Nicksick from Xtreme Couture, said the money he received for contributing to Ngannou’s camp was a career-best payday for him, as well.
“It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter – it was unbelievable,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears. That’s a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life – not only from a professional standpoint, but a monetary standpoint.
“It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband and I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, my daughter’s 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car. There’s a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldn’t thank him enough.”
Nicksick noted that, unlike Ngannou’s final UFC fights, he did not operate as the chief cornerman for the boxing match for Fury. That distinction went to Dewey Cooper.
But even without that status, Nicksick said his cut from Ngannou outweighed anything he’s received previously as a coach.
“Remember, as his head coach, the two title fights with Stipe (Miocic) and (Ciryl) Gane, he paid me more for the Tyson Fury fight as basically his assistant behind Dewey,” Nicksick said. “I was behind Dewey and I got paid way more than I did in the Gane and Stipe fights and he was taking care of me on that, as well, percentage-wise. If he wants to box, man, I’m all for it. All day long, brother.
“I think it does show that you’re able to go outside the UFC and still be successful. It’s hard to put an evaluation when you talk about Francis and his star power and what he’s capable of doing. Can Jeremy Kennedy do that same thing? I don’t know. There’s just guys I don’t know if that’s going to work out in their favor the same way it did for Francis. But it also gives guys more options, and I think more options are important to have.”
As far as options going forward, it remains to be seen what will be next for Ngannou. He’s in play for a return to MMA for his PFL debut at some point in the year, then also has opportunities in boxing.
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Nicksick said Ngannou’s top desire is to rematch with Fury, but he’s prepared for that to not happen next as Fury is scheduled for a heavyweight title unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17.
Deontay Wilder was a name frequently linked to Ngannou in recent months, but his upset loss to Joseph Parker this month, and subsequent indecisiveness about his future, puts that in limbo. In Nicksick’s mind that leaves one most viable option, and that would be Anthony Joshua.
“Unfortunately I was kind of bummed to see Wilder lose,” Nicksick said. “But Joseph Parker’s no slouch, either. But it does take some of the lustre off an Ngannou-Wilder fight, in my opinion. If he had won that fight I think it definitely puts us in a better situation for a selling point. If it ends up being a mixed rules, are we going to fight him in MMA first and then boxing? But after the weekend, I feel like Francis and Joshua is the better matchup, especially on the boxing side of things if that’s what he ends up doing.”
Coach Eric Nicksick is worried Sean Strickland will fight too emotional in a suddenly personal UFC 297 title defense vs. Dricus Du Plessis.
[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s ire toward [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] ahead of their UFC 297 middleweight title fight is legitimate, according to his head coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag].
What started as a fairly routine title booking between Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) for the Jan. 20 pay-per-view headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto has turned both physical and personal in the lead-up to the event.
During a seasonal press conference earlier this month, Strickland and Du Plessis used their first face-to-face opportunity to hurl personal insults and, in the case of a challenger, cut deep with some harsh words. The next night at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Strickland jumped Du Plessis in a viral cageside skirmish, adding to the tension between the two sides.
The multiple incidences resonated with the champion in the eyes of Xtreme Couture coach Nicksick, who got to see the fallout of it all with Strickland in the days that followed. He admitted Strickland was affected by what unfolded, but it’s his job to work with the fighter to ensure it’s spun into something positive.
“There’s two sides to that coin: Sean has no problem saying what he says about everybody else, so people are going to probably poke and say things about him, as well,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think it’s a tough row to (hoe), so you can’t get too emotional about those situations. They are just words, but at the end of the day, I did feel like he was triggered and there was a few days where it just kind of motivated him.
“The motivation was (already) there, believe me. But I wanted him to understand we need to have the right motivation. It didn’t need to be this infuriated guy going in there like, ‘I want to kill this guy,’ because that takes us out of our game. It takes us out of our element and what we’re good at. He’s been great ever since then. We had a good conversation about that, and I just told him I was proud of him.”
Nicksick does admit this element of the fight can’t be dismissed as nothing. Strickland has shown in his past fights that emotional and ego can impact him. Whether it’s his decision to stand and strike with Alex Pereira in his July 2022 knockout loss, or his screaming at Israel Adesanya in the octagon during his UFC 293 upset title win in September, emotion has both fuelled Strickland and reared its ugly head.
If Strickland, 32, can’t channel everything properly, Nicksick thinks it will cause additional problems with Du Plessis, 29, on fight night.
“I did say, ‘Hey, fighting emotional is not who we are,'” Nicksick said. “And stylistically, I think that favors Dricus more. It opens us up more, so we need to stick with our game plan and stick with what we want to do and don’t allow your emotions to take this over.”
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Aside from the potential repercussions in the fight itself, Nicksick is not bothered by Strickland’s unique way of presenting his character in the sport. Whether he’s loved or despised, it’s obvious his life trauma has generated a certain edge to his personality.
At times, it seemed that might be the one thing that truly held Strickland back in his career. But now, Nicksick thinks it’s arguably what’s buoying him most.
“I don’t think a lot of people really understand the amount of people that reached out to me after he won (against Adesanya),” Nicksick said. “He speaks for a demographic, and so many people I think have this type of upbringing where they had parents that might’ve been abusive, or they dealt with a broken home and all these things Sean might’ve dealt with. He’s kind of their voice in a lot of ways. But what they’re seeing now is someone becoming successful, and that motivation for them is huge because they know they can do it, too.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,424, the guys interview XTreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, who talked about Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland. They also went over all the news nuggets, including, Sean O’Malley thinking the UFC is losing money when Conor McGregor fights, Michael Chandler willing to fight Nate Diaz, and more. Tune in!
Eric Nicksick thinks pace will be the determining factor in UFC champ Sean Strickland’s fight vs. Dricus Du Plessis.
[autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] thinks pace will be the determining factor in UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s fight vs. [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag].
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) makes his first title defense against Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 297 main event Jan. 20 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Du Plessis is known to fight with a crazy pace, which he used to finish former champion Robert Whittaker by TKO at UFC 290. But as the rounds go, Nicksick expects Strickland to get into a flow state, which will overwhelm Du Plessis.
“I think it’s going to be a matter of setting a precedent on the pace,” Nicksick told Inside Fighting. “I feel like Dricus is going to come out hard, heavy and fast right away, and we’re going to have to manage that pace in the first couple of rounds. Once Sean gets into the fight, I think that’s when Sean’s really going to be able to take over. I expect it to be a barnburner. Both of these guys are right where they belong.”
Strickland pulled off a massive upset to claim the middleweight title when he dropped and outstruck Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Dethroning middleweight great Adesanya was against the odds, but Nicksick sees Du Plessis as the toughest challenge yet for one reason.
“I was always told by Randy (Couture) and something I always look at is the hardest fight of your career is your first title defense,” Nicksick. “It’s going to be up to us to make sure we’re on our Ps and Qs and go out there and defend this belt.”
Coach Eric Nicksick says a future rematch between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou is a must following their close fight.
The future looks bright for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] but also uncertain.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently the center of attention in combat sports following his shocking and impressive performance in his split decision boxing loss to [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Many are clamoring for an immediate rematch, but it looks like Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk next and Ngannou will go back to MMA.
[autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag], head coach at Xtreme Couture, strongly believes a rematch between the two will happen down the line.
“I think they have to, I really do,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio when asked about a potential rematch. “I think they have to. After that performance, how can you not? In the ring, John Fury, the whole Tyson Fury team was so nice and so gracious. Let’s not get it twisted: They provided us with a great opportunity. We needed two to tango, and Tyson kind of gifted us that opportunity. I felt like they kind of thought they were doing us a favor, and we were trying to spoil that. I think being the competitor that Tyson Fury is, I’m sure that he doesn’t want to not give that opportunity. I don’t want to say he didn’t take it seriously, but I don’t think he expected some of the things Francis was able to do in the fight and accomplish, so he probably wants to get that back and show that he’s a much better boxer. But I definitely think these guys will fight again.”
Few gave Ngannou a chance to not only win but also survive the 10 rounds scheduled for his boxing match against Fury. After all, this was Ngannou’s boxing debut and Fury is the WBC heavyweight champion with more than 30 professional fights.
Yet, despite the odds and critics, Ngannou gave Fury one of his toughest bouts. He scored the only knock down of the fight, and in many’s eyes, did enough to win the decision.
Nicksick was not affected one bit by the outside noise leading up to the fight.
“No one gave us a chance,” Nicksick said. “No one, really no one. I’m kind of immune to it by now. We had literally four or five months of people saying we (Sean Strickland) can’t beat Izzy, we can’t beat this guy. So you just kind of become immune to it.”
Coach Eric Nicksick said Francis Ngannou proved MMA fighters can compete in high-level boxing with his Saturday showing against Tyson Fury.
The history is not great for MMA fighters transitioning to professional boxing.
There have been a few here and there who have been able to notch wins, but at a high level, it’s a rare scene. But Saturday in Saudi Arabia, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] crossed over to the boxing world and gave WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury one of his toughest career fights. Ngannou was defeated in a close, split decision, but many think he did enough to beat Fury.
[autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag], one of Ngannou’s main coaches, believes Ngannou proved to the MMA world that it is possible to compete against high-level boxers.
“I think it’s huge,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio on Sunday. “It’s that 4-minute mile mentality where the guy that breaks the 4-minute mile does the impossible feat and then when somebody does, everyone knows they have an opportunity to do the same thing. I think more and more MMA guys look for this opportunity as well.
Eric Nicksick
“The first thing I wrote Sean Strickland: ‘Ready to move to boxing?’ And he’s like, ‘Damn right. That’s all I do (is) spar boxers, anyway.’ I think that Francis paved that way and showed we are capable of competing, and not only competing, winning and putting it together at a high level. I’m proud of him, he kind of laid that groundwork.”
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Ngannou’s showing Saturday was a big shock for the combat sports world. Few expected Ngannou to go the distance with Fury, let alone be competitive. For Nicksick, this is just one of the many things Ngannou has overcome in his career.
“Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Francis and the level of expectation he carries,” Nicksick said. “We love that – the doubt and everything that we’re told we can’t do. It does motivate us, and I know it motivates him. This is something that he’s had in his mind for such a long time now. For it to come to fruition, there’s a moment in the ring where Tyson was walking in, and I’m just taking it all in, looking at the event itself, and Francis looks over at me and just has this big-ass smile on his face. I’m like, ‘Dude, you did this.’ Literally, before he fought, like, ‘You did this. This is on you.’ I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.
Coach Eric Nicksick liked what he saw from UFC champ Sean Strickland when he trained with Khamzat Chimaev before at Xtreme Couture.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s first title defense is expected to be against [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag], and coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] is thrilled about the matchup.
While many have speculated on what a potential Strickland-Chimaev fight could look like, Nicksick already has a good idea. Nicksick, head coach at Xtreme Couture, has seen Strickland and Chimaev train together under his watchful eye, and he liked what he saw.
“I love Khamzat. He’s great,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that, when he was in the gym, he worked so hard, and I thought he was a good teammate. He made the room better. Those guys had amazing rounds. Those two pushed one another.
“Unfortunate this is the business: You might have to fight your friends down the line. I hope that these guys put on a good show and sell the fight well. At the end of the day, it’s not my decision. It’s the promotion’s decision. I think you can make an argument for Dricus (Du Plessis). Obviously, Izzy (Israel Adesanya) is going to take some time off. You can make the argument that Khamzat should fight (Paulo) Costa after that last performance, or you throw him in there now, strike while the iron is hot and not lose that ability to fight Sean. But I’m excited for Khamzat. I think he’s the guy that deserves that title fight. I’m looking forward to that matchup.”
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) fought this past Saturday, defeating former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294. UFC CEO Dana White had labeled the matchup as a title eliminator leading up to the event.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) also fought somewhat recently. He competed last month at UFC 293 where he pulled off a big upset, outpointing Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title.
Nicksick said he already got word from the UFC confirming Khamzat is next. He expects that fight to go down in early 2024.
“Yeah, (first quarter of 2024), I think so,” Nicksick said. “Depending on if Khamzat is the opponent and he has a broken hand or anything like that, which we still don’t know. Depending on their schedule, what it looks like travel wise. I got a text from those guys, the UFC, right after the fight saying just let me know when you guys want it, and we’ll be ready.”
Coach Eric Nicksick assures Francis Ngannou is in it to upset Tyson Fury this Saturday.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] is aware of the criticism and talk surrounding [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s dive into the boxing world, but he assures the critics the former UFC heavyweight champion is in it to win it, not just collect a big payday.
Nicksick, head coach at Xtreme Couture, sees Ngannou motivated and dialed in ahead of his colossal boxing match against WBC heavyweight champion [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] this Saturday. The two clash in a 10-round, non-title bout under professional boxing rules.
Nicksick says Ngannou’s mind is right where it needs to be to pull off one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history.
“He’s taking this very seriously, and I think that you hear some of those things, and we’re not big on reading the comment section or anything like that, but we obviously are going to feel it, are going to hear it, and I think that’s motivated him extra to work hard,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie. “Being at all his training sessions and watching him put all the work he’s put in, he’s taking this very seriously. I think you have to. You don’t want to show up to this opportunity and just think, ‘I’m just happy to be here and make some money.’
“I was telling the team that I’m looking forward to seeing all his improvement he’s had in the boxing game, how he can later on apply it in the future for when we do MMA.”
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Ngannou is fulfilling a long-time goal of his on Saturday. He’s been wanting to box Fury for years, but being under contract with the UFC stopped him from making the fight happen.
In unprecedented circumstances, Ngannou walked away from the UFC earlier this year after fighting out his contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion as champion.
Nicksick is extremely happy and proud of Ngannou and his determination to get this opportunity.
“I’m excited for him, and it’s crazy to think that four or five years ago Francis was talking about this dream and this aspiration, and now we’re days away from this becoming true for him.”
He later added,
“It’s just cool to see your boy in the spotlight and just being put out there and the promotion and everything else around it. It’s been really cool, they’ve done a great job and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.
Eric Nicksick brings some insight on Francis Ngannou’s preparation for Tyson Fury.
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s coach, [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag], is well aware of the monster challenger the team has on their hands.
Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, will face WBC heavyweight champion [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] in a non-title professional boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.
Although Nganngou is a top-tier talent in MMA, he will be an unproven debutant in the world of boxing. Nicksick understands what they’re up against, and that’s why he doesn’t think Ngannou can have a traditional approach to this bout.
“I think just understanding that if we’re going to try to outbox Tyson Fury and out-jab this guy, and out-footwork this guy, I think we’re at a loss,” Nicksck told MMA Junkie Radio. “I just feel our approach just needs to be a little more unpredictable and a little more relevant to MMA, things we’ve been working on his MMA career.
“So those were my thoughts, and he was understanding and receptive to what I was bringing up. Whether he uses it or not, we’ll see, but I think some of that stuff could work.”
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Nicksick revealed he’s been involved in Ngannou’s preparation, but not much, at least for now. He just helped prepare Brad Tavares for his win over Chris Weidman this past Saturday at UFC 292, and now has to help Sean Strickland get ready to take on champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 on Sept. 9 in Australia.
After that’s over, Nicksick plans to get more hands-on with Ngannou. For now, Dewey Cooper has been leading the charge in preparation for Fury.
Regardless, Nicksick has done his due diligence and has poked around in the boxing world.
“I’ve talked to a lot of my friends in the industry before I presented anything,” Nicksick said regarding preparation. “I talked with Chris Algieri for quite a while and just people that I know and trust in the industry and people who are more prevalent in boxing.
“I just picked their brains. I just wanted thoughts and ideas on kind of what my mindset was in this situation and checks and balances like, ‘What do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ I presented those things to Francis and the team and I brought up sparring partners and other bodies I think would be good and stuff like that. But I haven’t sat down and gone over X’s and O’s.”
