Chael Sonnen defends Eric Nicksick's post-UFC 312 comments after Sean Strickland seemingly fires coach from corner team: "He spoke very direct"

Chael Sonnen has come to the defense of Eric Nicksick in the aftermath of Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 performance and the coach’s subsequent criticism. Nicksick openly questioned his fighter’s motivation after Strickland’s lackluster showing against Dricus du Plessis in their rematch in the recently concluded pay-per-viw event.

Nicksick expressed disappointment in Strickland’s passive approach, particularly in a title fight. Despite urging his fighter to be more aggressive, Strickland failed to adjust, allowing du Plessis to dictate the pace.

Strickland later revealed he was dealing with injuries during camp, but Nicksick firmly asserted that championship opportunities demand a fighter’s full commitment. Strickland, in response, also suggested that Nicksick would likely no longer be in his corner moving forward.

Sonnen, however, believes Nicksick handled the situation appropriately. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen highlighted the importance of communication in coaching and defended Nicksick’s approach.

According to Sonnen, Nicksick's straightforward critique was not meant to be personal but rather an honest assessment of the fight. He said:

"Why do I defend coach Nicksick? Because you know what? Communication is everything. You go with your coach because your coach knows how to give those same simple messages that you could get anywhere, he knows how to say it in a way that gets you to respond. The great coaches, they’ll know how to talk to their guy, and it’s not just in training camp leading into it.”

Sonnen added:

"Eric Nicksick, as a coach, was very direct. He did not use a lot of words and he did not mince them and he not waste anyone’s time. He didn’t threaten to walk out, he didn’t bring money into it, he didn’t bring anything personal into it, he didn’t even bring profanity into it. He spoke very direct to what he saw and a potential conflict that he felt. That’s how Sean Strickland talks to people.”

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (2:00):

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Teddy Atlas praises Eric Nicksick for honest coaching in Sean Strickland's UFC 312 title fight

Sean Strickland fell short in his UFC 312 rematch against Dricus du Plessis, but his coach Eric Nicksick earned praise for his no-nonsense corner advice.

Strickland struggled to implement adjustments as du Plessis’ pressure stifled his output. Despite Nicksick’s efforts to steer him back into the fight, Strickland failed to adapt. Legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas applauded Nicksick for being direct, saying his honest coaching gave Strickland a better chance to win.

Speaking about the fight on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, the legendary boxing trainer said:

"The truth is important, at the end you will love it because it will give you a better chance to win. He not only told him the truth, he gave him ideas of what to do. He said, if I remember correctly, he said, 'You gotta stop just picking stuff off and then coming back. That ain't working. You gotta start to intercept some of his [attacks]."

Check out Teddy Atlas' comments below (6:30):