Sean Strickland’s Coach Reveals What Didn’t Go Their Way Against Khamzat Chimaev: “We Want That Fine Money”

Sean Strickland's coach revealed the middleweight champion and his team's only hangup from the Khamzat Chimaev fight at UFC 328.

Sean Strickland’s Coach Reveals What Didn’t Go Their Way Against Khamzat Chimaev: “We Want That Fine Money”

Sean Strickland (via talkSport)

In Short
  • Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328, ending Chimaev's title reign.
  • Coach Eric Nicksick expressed regret over missing potential fine money due to Chimaev's weight issues.
  • Strickland fought with a separated shoulder, which affected his performance but did not hinder his victory.

Coach Eric Nicksick recently rued a missed opportunity during UFC 328. Sean Strickland ended Khamzat Chimaev‘s nearly year-long title reign last Saturday by beating him via split decision to become a two-time middleweight champion. This was the Chechen fighter’s first defeat in mixed martial arts.

Sean Strickland was a sizable underdog heading into the fight with the odds firmly stacked against him. Even so, ‘Tarzan’ overcame Chimaev by outstriking him and even shocking many by controlling him on the ground for 3 minutes of the second round. At the end of the fight, 2 of the 3 judges sided with Strickland.

Despite all the positive things that happened, Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, still regrets one thing about how last weekend played out. Nicksick told Mike Heck that his regret was actually something that happened before the fight even happened.

People forget, like I don’t know what Khamzat [Chimaev] was getting paid [but] that’s a 20 or 30 [percent fine]. That’s a big fine. You know that money goes into Sean’s pocket, that’s all we cared about was like, ‘Yo we want that fine money’, you know. We want that tax baby, other than that, it’s like it is what it is.

Eric Nicksick via Mike Heck

At the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 328, during their final confrontation with each other, Sean Strickland alleged that Khamzat Chimaev had missed weight. This happened after ‘Borz’ showed up to the actual weigh-ins looking completely drained, with many fans believing he had missed weight.

Nonetheless, this appears to be some lighthearted banter from Khamzat Chimaev’s former coach. Nicksick and ‘Borz’ share a playful friendship with the former middleweight champion. Borz even joked that Nicksick would abandon Strickland if he ever started a fight with Chimaev.

Nonetheless, Eric Nicksick remains firmly on Team Strickland. He coached Sean Strickland through the Chimaev fight, helping his protege claim the middleweight belt for the second time in his career. However, ‘Tarzan’ did so while fighting with a separated shoulder, and now, the MMA coach has revealed the gravity of the injury.

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Eric Nicksick reveals Sean Strickland “got hurt pretty bad”

Sean Strickland ending Khamzat Chimaev’s undefeated MMA run impressed and shocked many fans and fighters alike. Closing at around +380 to +420 as an underdog, it’s safe to say that a majority of MMA fans were betting against Strickland at UFC 328. However, what makes his upset victory even more impressive is that the two-time UFC middleweight champion did it with a separated shoulder.

Sean Strickland, Eric Nicksick
Sean Strickland and his coach, Eric Nicksick [via UFC.com]

Veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan praised Sean Strickland for fighting through an injury that the host of the JRE alleges would have made lesser fighters quit. Now, Eric Nicksick has revealed the seriousness of his protege’s injuries to Ariel Helwani recently on the Ariel Helwani Show.

It was hurt pretty bad. He landed into the wall sparring with Johnny Eblen on Tuesday — kind of basically a brick wall.  I knew he was going to be able to go out and perform. It definitely affected his right cross…I think it took a little bit out of him, but it is what it is, and something we had to deal with. He said he was fine and going to work through it. That’s exactly what he did.

Eric Nicksick via the Ariel Helwani Show

Nicksick also revealed that Sean Strickland himself wasn’t very forthcoming with the details of the injury. Nonetheless, the coach trusted him to work through this injury, and it seemed to work out perfectly for the Xtreme Couture duo last Saturday.

Nicksick has another job to do this Saturday as another one of his proteges, Francis Ngannou, takes on Philipe Lins at the inaugural MVP MMA card. But Sean Strickland can be there, too, if he accepts Nicksick’s invite, considering Ronda Rousey recently greenlit the middleweight champion’s presence at the Intuit Dome on Saturday.

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