Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland expressed his displeasure on Wednesday regarding the public critiques made by his longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, about his performance at UFC 312. Strickland noted that Nicksick will “likely not” return to his corner for future fights.

Strickland shared his thoughts in an extensive social media video, stating he felt the need to address Nicksick’s comments, especially after Nicksick raised concerns about his commitment to fighting following a dominant defeat against Dricus Du Plessis during their rematch for the title last Saturday. Losing by scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46, Strickland faced criticism from Nicksick, who described his performance as “underwhelming” and even suggested that he appeared to be “sleepwalking” in the Octagon.

Nicksick expressed his thoughts during an appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” stating, “He needs to reflect on what he truly wants from this sport. If it’s just for financial gain, that’s fine, but please communicate that. My goal as a coach is to mentor world champions, so my aspirations differ. Just showing up and performing like that, without backing it up, struck me as uninspiring.”

In his response on Wednesday, Strickland explained that he felt it necessary to clarify his position due to Nicksick’s public remarks.

“I have respect for Eric,” Strickland mentioned in his video. “He’s a friend, and I hope that bond continues. However, will he be in my corner moving forward? Probably not. We have many talented fighters at Xtreme [Couture], and I’d love to have them support me.”

“The entire fight camp was a challenge. We can all come up with excuses for our victories or defeats. However, the truth is, those reasons don’t really matter. I’m making this video because Eric chose to go and do a podcast, stepping into the influencer space, and I feel obliged to clarify my stance.”

Strickland further shared that he suffered a broken arm in preparation for the Du Plessis fight and also battled a staph infection. He emphasized that he persevered throughout his training camp, despite not being in prime condition, referring to the experience as “a struggle of knowing I wasn’t at my best.”

After the fight, Strickland admitted that breaking his nose in the fourth round impacted his performance. Nevertheless, he highlighted in his video that he “didn’t give up,” despite the pain.

“I broke my nose like three times in that round, and each time, I refused to quit,” Strickland asserted. “I didn’t go to my corner and say, ‘I can’t fight because my nose is broken.’ I adjusted after every hit.”

Strickland (29-7) had previously secured victory in four out of his last five bouts, with his only other loss coming from a close decision against Du Plessis in January 2024.