Latest news with #Nicksick
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Coach Hints at Major Comeback for Francis Ngannou
UFC Coach Hints at Major Comeback for Francis Ngannou originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou left the world's most elite mixed martial arts (MMA) organization on bad terms, however he might be open to a return. Advertisement He won the UFC title in 2021 against Stipe Miocic by knocking him out in the second round, marking the pinnacle in his life journey from homelessness to heavyweight king. Ngannou's reign included a successful title defense over Ciryl Gane, where he showcased his grappling to win. It was later revealed that Ngannou fought Gane with a Grade 3 MCL tear and ACL damage, making the win even more impressive. About a year later, he was stripped of the title after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract. Ngannou advocated for financial freedom and respect but left the promotion for the PFL. Since leaving the UFC, he's lost boxing matches to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Ngannou returned to MMA last October and defeated Renan Ferreira via ground and pound. Now, he's assessing all of his options, but staying busy in the gym. Advertisement 'He's training, he looks happy to be back in the gym with the team,' MMA coach Eric Nicksick said. 'He's been asking for that Wilder fight, and if that happens, great, but right now the heavyweight division is kind of in shambles. There's no real direction, and that creates an opportunity.' Ngannou left the UFC to chase prize fights and generational wealth, which he acquired. According to Nicksick, he is open to negotiations to return. 'I think this is more about business than it is about ego. At least it is from Francis's side. He just wants to be treated like an independent contractor, paid fairly and given the freedom to pursue other opportunities. And he did that. He went out, boxed, made a lot of money, and proved himself,' Nicksick added. Advertisement 'Where does his motivation come from now? It's not about money anymore. It's about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.' The current state of the UFC's heavyweight division with undisputed champion Jon Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall is unknown. Jones is thinking of retirement, while Aspinall just wants a shot at being undisputed. Could Ngannou be the answer the UFC needs? 'Dana's a smart businessman,' Nicksick said. 'I think he's level-headed enough to say: the past is the past. Let's explore the future. Look at the heavyweight division right now, what are we doing? Tom Aspinall is holding an interim belt for nearly 600 days. It's time to get things moving.' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
07-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Eric Nicksick reflects on spat with ex-UFC champion Sean Strickland: 'The timing was wrong'
Eric Nicksick insists it's water under the bridge with Sean Strickland. Nicksick was pretty vocal with his discontent toward Strickland's lackluster performance against Dricus Du Plessis in their title-fight rematch at 312, which prompted Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) to say he doubts Nicksick be in his corner again. Nicksick doesn't necessarily regret what he said. The Xtreme Couture head coach explained that he came from a good place when addressing someone who he doesn't just see as a student, but as a friend. He thinks perhaps he shouldn't have done it so soon after the loss. 'The timing was wrong on my part, and the wording wasn't as crystal clear as what I should have gotten out,' Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. 'Everyone in the gym that knows me, Sean included, knew where my heart was and knew where my head was and the point that I was trying to get across. 'Sean said that to me immediately via text. He was like, 'Hey man, I know exactly what you mean.' I saw him in person that same Thursday. We hugged, high-fived. 'I'm going out snowboarding.' We had a good conversation. So as far as I'm concerned, everything's good on our end.' Nicksick was criticized by a few pundits for his harshness towards Strickland, who gave a much more competitive effort in his first fight with Du Plessis at UFC 297. 'Whether I'm his coach, in his corner, none of that bothers me,' Nicksick said. 'What I said was from the heart because I love him and I care about him. I want to see him at his best in the best capacity that we all know Sean. If I lie as a coach, I'm not doing my job. If I feel like we're missing something, then I'm not doing my job. Should I have said it publicly? You know, maybe I shouldn't have. I don't know.'
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Eric Nicksick laments criticizing Sean Strickland so soon after UFC 312: 'I f*cked up'
With time to reflect, Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick wishes he hadn't publicly spoken about Sean Strickland's losing performance at UFC 312 so soon afterward. Strickland was dominated by UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and suffered a broken nose in their rematch, which ended with Du Plessis securing an easy unanimous decision by scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. Strickland, known for his basic style of fighting, didn't do anything differently to push Du Plessis after complaining that he was robbed in their first fight in February 2024. Just a few days after UFC 312, Nicksick appeared on 'The Ariel Helwani Show' and criticized Strickland. 'It was just uninspired fighting to me,' Nicksick said. 'It just seemed like he was sleepwalking. … It was a tough 25 minutes to travel all the way out there. Let's not forget, this was a title fight. I take these title fights very seriously, and I don't know. I was just very disappointed, man. I was disappointed with the whole entire outcome and the whole fight as a process. I just thought it was kind of flat.' Nicksick continued, 'I think he needs to evaluate what he wants to do in this sport. If it's just to make money, then that's great. Let us know. I want to coach world champions, so my motivations are different.' Tuesday on his 'Verse Us' podcast, Nicksick expressed regret for how he spoke about Strickland. Nicksick explained that he primary mistake was accepting the invitation from Helwani given the timing of just returning to Las Vegas after a long flight from Sydney. On top of that, Nicksick said 30 minutes before he went on Helwani's show, Strickland opened up about his mindset in the weeks leading up to the fight, and that's what threw him for a loop. 'It was very disappointing to hear where his headspace was and what his thought process was about being a champion or all these things. That's personal,' Nicksick said. 'I should've known better. I took that energy and had to process that while I go on Ariel's show. I f*cked up. I f*cked up. … I made a miscalculation in that moment in ever accepting to go on the show.' Nicksick said he didn't necessarily regret being critical of Strickland but that he could've worded his message better. 'My wording was piss poor,' Nicksick said. 'What I said was accurate, about the fight was uninspiring. We all know Sean. That is not how Sean fights. What I said was accurate. Am I to shoulder some of that blame? A hundred percent. I said that, as a staff, it's on us. I've always said that. But his output, his body lamguage, his demeanor, all those things, it did not feel like Sean. And if anybody thinks that I should've f*cking lied to cover, I'm not a good coach. That's a yes man, and I won't be that.'
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Video: Was Eric Nicksick's criticism of Sean Strickland loss fair or foul?
Have we seen the last of Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick in former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland's corner? Sure seems like it. After Strickland's lackluster performance in his UFC 312 title-fight loss to Dricus Du Plessis, Nicksick didn't hold back his thoughts when he appeared on 'The Ariel Helwani Show' last week and said Strickland 'seemed like he was sleepwalking' and called his performance 'uninspired fighting.' Nicksick also questioned if he and Strickland were on the same page anymore in terms of ambition. Strickland, apparently surprised by the criticism, later came out and said Nicksick probably would not be in his corner again. Were Nicksick's comments on Strickland fair or foul? MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Brian 'Goze' Garcia, and Matthew Wells answer that question with host 'Gorgeous' George and discuss what happens from here. Watch their discussion in the video above, and don't miss this week's complete episode of 'Spinning Back Clique' below on YouTube or in podcast form.
USA Today
15-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Cormier disagrees with Sean Strickland's coach: 'You don't get to coach all world champs'
Daniel Cormier understands Eric Nicksick's frustration towards Sean Strickland at UFC 312, but disagrees with one thing. Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) lost a dominant unanimous decision to middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in this past Saturday's main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Nicksick was bothered with Strickland's lack of sense of urgency after being down in the fight, which led him to publicly say that he needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport. The Xtreme Couture head coach said he wants to coach world champions, and that's what Cormier disagrees with. 'The only area that I think coach Nicksick was wrong was that I want to coach world champs,' Cormier said on his YouTube channel. 'Not everyone is going to be a world champ. You don't get to coach all world champs. You coach world champions, you coach guys that might get to the Contender Series and lose, you coach guys that might get to an LFA title and that might be it. 'You might get a guy that comes to the UFC, has a cup of tea, 0-2, and he's out. So, you don't just get to coach world champions. I get the thought of what he's saying, but not everybody gets there. Make that your goal, but I don't know if publicly you say that. But any great coach will have words for their athlete.' Strickland revealed that Nicksick will no longer be in his corner, but the pair will remain friends. Cormier finds that odd, even though he thinks Nicksick's harsh criticism towards Strickland's performance was warranted. 'I don't blame coach,' Cormier said. 'I think any great coach needs to judge their athletes fairly, but very harsh whenever they don't compete to the ability that you expect them to because if you don't, who's going to? Especially in a world where most people are saying yes.'
