"We’re fighting for that little kid inside of us" - Coach Eric Nicksick's fifth round corner pep-talk to Sean Strickland gets fans emotional on X

Sean Strickland's head coach Eric Nicksick's pre-fifth-round speech at UFC 297 has seemingly set the MMA community abuzz. Strickland has long trained under the tutelage of Nicksick at the world-renowned Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

'Tarzan' put his UFC middleweight title on the line against Dricus du Plessis in the headlining bout of UFC 297 on Jan. 20, 2024. Their closely-contested match witnessed du Plessis secure a split decision victory (47-48, 48-47, 48-47), dethroning Strickland to become the new UFC middleweight champion.

Certain sections of the MMA world, including UFC CEO Dana White, subsequently suggested that Strickland was more deserving of the judges' nod. They specifically scored rounds one, two, and five for 'Tarzan'.

On that note, a speech that coach Eric Nicksick made to advise Strickland during the break between rounds four and five has now gone viral. Nicksick stated:

"I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen good. I need this round. Okay? I need this round. Sean, Sean, everything right now, we're fighting for that little kid inside of us, Sean."

He added:

"Sean, push your jab, pace; don't let him inside. Do not let him inside. When he takes us down, if he shoots on us, wrestle. Get the f**k back up. Championship sh**. And still, motherf**ker. Let's go."

Check out Nicksick's comments below:

Eric Nicksick's UFC 297 advice appears to have elicited emotional responses from the MMA community. Taking to X, several fans labeled him the best MMA coach. Meanwhile, others suggested that he should've given that motivational speech to Sean Strickland before round four.

Some X users highlighted that his speech worked wonders and helped 'Tarzan' win round five. Nicksick, who's coached multiple combat sports superstars, including former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, has consistently been lauded for his brilliant guidance. One fan tweeted:

"Man I really like Erik pumping up his fighters."

Check out the screenshots of a few fan reactions below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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Dana White on potential immediate rematch between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland

In the aftermath of UFC 297, Dricus du Plessis issued a call-out to former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. As for Adesanya, he's still on hiatus from professional MMA competition but has lately hinted that he could return sooner than initially expected. Sean Strickland, du Plessis, and Adesanya's respective next matchups haven't been officially announced yet.

Nevertheless, given how razor-close their UFC 297 showdown was, UFC head honcho Dana White was questioned about the possibility of a Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland rematch being booked right away. Refraining from committing to the immediate rematch, White noted:

“Eventually these two are going to end up fighting again, I’m sure, but we’re not thinking about an immediate rematch right now.”

Catch Dana White's comments below: