Sean Strickland’s coach clears air around Khamzat Chimaev’s alleged ‘domination’ against UFC champ in gym session

Sean Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, has stepped out to put the rumors to rest. These rumors sparked from a training session involving UFC fighters Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. The training session in issue, which took place at the famous Xtreme Couture gym, had fueled rumors about Chimaev’s domination over Strickland. Nicksick, who oversees Strickland’s training, has highlighted the exact purpose of their sparring match.

Despite rumors of one-sided dominance, Nicksick stressed that the training session between Chimaev and Strickland was intensely competitive. He emphasized that both combatants demonstrated their abilities equally, with neither side outclassing the other. Nicksick, in keeping with the gym’s vow of confidentiality, refused to reveal specifics but emphasized the mutual respect and competition that marked the interaction. This is what he had to say:

I don't know what they saw in the gym, but that's not the case by any means. I won't speak about our training sessions. What happens inside our gym stays within our gym. But there was no one side or the other that was just getting blown out of the water... It's quite the opposite if you ask me. But it was very competitive.

Eric Nicksick via Submission Radio

Nicksick complimented Khamzat Chimaev’s rigorous work ethic. He also praised Chimaev’s steadfast drive to improvement, recognizing his serious commitment to training. Chimaev’s abilities, in Nicksick’s opinion, demonstrate his development into a more complete combatant.

Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick’s comments emphasize Chimaev’s improvement while also revealing the strong competition in the gym. MMA fans are looking forward to a prospective Strickland-Chimaev fight, praising the coach’s insights into UFC training sessions.

Sean Strickland’s candid remarks illuminate UFC fighter pay challenges

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has exposed the harsh reality of the sport by giving a genuine insight into the financial hardships many UFC competitors face in an open and honest discussion. Strickland publicly acknowledged the athletes’ meager pay during a live broadcast. This broadcast intended to promote the UFC, highlighting the obstacles fighters must overcome to pursue their dreams.

Strickland opened the discussion by asking UFC Hall of Famer Don Frye about his salary in the early UFC years. It was shocking to learn that fighters were only paid a meager $500, even in high-stakes bouts. After that, Strickland discussed the present situation with fighter pay. This is what Sean had to say:

So let’s just say you make it now you make it to the UFC. Well, hey, guess what, what do you think they sign the average guy on? ... Ten and 10 for this man. So you make it to UFC, you get signed, 10 and 10, and now you fight for 10 and 10, and you’ve spent your entire life working for this one goal. You get the blue check mark, you get the UFC in your logo, you get all the people, you get all of it now. So you go 2-2 and maybe they’re boring fights, and the UFC cuts you, and now guess what? You have made a total of ... $60,000 your entire career, and you have no other option, because you can’t be a part-time fighter. You’ve got to be full time.

Sean Strickland via Extra Rounds

The microphone was unexpectedly shut off just as Strickland was about to deliver another uncensored opinion. It is, however, unknown if these were due to technical difficulties or if the UFC intentionally cut him off.

In case you missed it:

• Meet Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick: Man behind two of the biggest upsets of 2023
• Sean Strickland’s wife: Who is ‘Tarzan’ married to?

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