Coach Eric Nicksick explains why he wasn't surprised Dricus du Plessis beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 305: "That's what makes him so good"

Eric Nicksick has expounded upon why Dricus du Plessis' victory over Israel Adesanya didn't surprise him. The American coach also drew parallels between his student Sean Strickland and du Plessis.

Following a successful kickboxing career, Adesanya transitioned to MMA full-time and achieved megastar status. 'Izzy' is a former two-time UFC middleweight champion. His second title reign ended with a unanimous decision defeat against Strickland in Sept. 2023.

Strickland lost the title to Dricus du Plessis via split decision in Jan. 2024. Following that, du Plessis defended the title with a fourth-round submission win over Adesanya at UFC 305 in Aug. 2024.

Speaking to Yahoo! Sports' Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, which recently premiered, Eric Nicksick was asked if he was surprised that 'DDP' beat 'Izzy.' Nicksick responded by saying, "No."

Helwani further inquired if he wasn't surprised at all, to which the Xtreme Couture coach alluded that du Plessis' and Strickland's striking styles were awkward enough to befuddle Adesanya. Nicksick stated:

"Not at all ... I was fifty-fifty on that. But I've gotten to know Dricus pretty well over the last year or so. I like the guy. I think he's a good dude. But we had some interesting conversations, even leading up to the fight with Sean [Strickland], when I was breaking down tape and just kind of watching his evolution, if you will."

He added:

"And I think he really started to understand what he's trying to accomplish in there as a striker. It seems erratic. It seems a little off, but that's what makes him so good. What we were talking about, where I thought he might give 'Izzy' problems, is when I say the word awkwardness."

Nicksick explained that Sean Strickland is a very awkward, off-rhythm striker, who takes away the opponent's rhythm. Nicksick indicated that he'd cautioned Strickland against getting ensnared by Adesanya's feints. The coach explained that Dricus du Plessis was similarly cautious about not falling victim to Adesanya's feints.

Nevertheless, he lauded Adesanya, citing that his fight against du Plessis was closely contested. Nicksick pointed out that he was impressed by Adesanya's teeps and body work, among other things, which he'll use while crafting Strickland's next gameplan.

Check out Nicksick's comments below:

Watch the complete episode hosted by Helwani below:

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Former UFC champion's praise for Dricus du Plessis' awkward and relentless fighting style

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker suffered a second-round TKO defeat against Dricus du Plessis back in July 2023. Presently, Whittaker is scheduled to fight the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 (Oct. 26, 2024). The consensus is that du Plessis' next middleweight title defense could come against the Whittaker-Chimaev winner or against Sean Strickland.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia's Main Event, Robert Whittaker recently waxed lyrical about Dricus du Plessis' greatness. Considered by many as a middleweight legend himself, Whittaker explained that 'Stillknocks' is awkward, hits hard, and is willing to die in the octagon to win. 'The Reaper' underlined that you need a similar mindset to defeat du Plessis:

"I think he's got a really solid headspace and mentality for winning fights."

Watch Whittaker's assessment below (2:00):