Sean Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick is zeroing in on discipline and control as he prepares his fighter for Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.
Strickland is scheduled to face Chimaev in a title fight on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., marking Strickland’s fourth title bout in the last three years and his second attempt to reclaim the belt. At least one UFC analyst has expressed concern that tension between Strickland and Chimaev could become "real ugly" in the lead-up.
"It's one of those situations with Sean where he's gonna meet you in the middle, and he's not gonna back down, he's not gonna be timid. But we also have to understand how to manage that type of energy," Nicksick said, emphasizing the need to balance Strickland’s pressure style with composure.
Nicksick, who previously held pads for Chimaev when he trained at Xtreme Couture in 2022, is particularly focused on the challenger’s ability to mix attacks. "He's very good at blending his level changes into his striking and his wrestling, and I think that, to me, is something you have to be very aware of," he explained.
The coach framed the matchup as something that goes beyond gold. "As much as we were talking about the important of the title (against Adesanya), in this particular fight, the title is kind of a byproduct," Nicksick said. "It just feels like we're fighting Khamzat, and if we win, luckily this title happens to be there. But it's more about bragging rights almost. It feels like a different connotation to me."
