Eric Nicksick reflects: MMA constantly evolving, maybe the problem is me

Eric Nicksick, until precocious 1 of the astir respected MMA trainers successful the world, is having a precise challenging 2025. At the tallness of his popularity, helium was successful the country of large fighters similar Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland, bringing glory to the Xtreme Couture gym successful Las Vegas.

However, things person not gone according to program successful caller months – Strickland failed to regain the middleweight loop against Dricus Du Plessis, erstwhile Bellator champion Patchy Mix had an unsuccessful UFC debut, and past play Nicksick witnessed Roman Dolidze’s decision by Anthony Hernandez astatine UFC APEX.

On his podcast Verse Us, Eric spoke openly astir a bid of mediocre results, but besides astir the struggle with Strickland aft his decision by Du Plessis successful February:

– The Strickland concern astir apt formed a antagonistic airy connected maine due to the fact that of immoderate of the things I said, but everyone connected the wrong knows wherever my bosom was and what I wanted to say. It didn't crook retired the mode I wanted it to, and I instrumentality work for my mediocre wording. That was my mistake,” the manager admitted.

He added that their narration rapidly improved:

– Sean and I person a large relationship. We speech each day. He's my brother, and brothers sometimes fight. A week later, we were backmost to our aged ways – joking around, shooting, hanging out. Maybe I wasn't the close manager for him astatine that moment, but Sean volition ever beryllium a person and a resource.

Coach's reflections and challenges

Strickland is presently serving a suspension for assaulting a combatant astatine the Tuff-N-Uff lawsuit successful June, but, according to Nicksick, helium remains a person successful the gym adjacent without a fight. As for his ain work, Nicksick admits:

– There are areas wherever I request to improve. MMA is perpetually evolving. I wonderment if I'm sticking to excessively galore aged methods, if I request to change, dilatory down, enactment with less fighters. I don't know. I've been getting a batch of praise for years, and present comes the disapproval due to the fact that the expectations are high. You suffer 3 fights and you instantly deliberation this is the worst year, but I don't privation defeats to ever go mean oregon acceptable.

However, Roman Dolidze's caller defeat, arsenic helium says, is not a reflection of problems successful the team:

- Roman was ready. "Fluffy" did a large job, astatine a gait that was astatine the level of a champion. There are fewer middleweights who could bushed him past night. He was successful his element, hats disconnected to him - said Nicksick.