Sean Strickland‘s coach, Eric Nicksick, acknowledges the difficulty of the upcoming UFC 293 fight against Israel Adesanya, and plans on using an unconventional approach, aiming to make the fight gritty, rather than a technical striking affair.
Sean Strickland is set to face a formidable opponent in Israel Adesanya during UFC 293’s main event. Even Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, acknowledges the challenges that lay ahead. Given Adesanya’s impressive track record in UFC, putting together a victory strategy for Strickland is a demanding task, especially when only two individuals have ever defeated Adesanya – Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight bout and Alex Pereira with a stirring fifth-round comeback.
Nicksick’s assessment of the situation is candid as he gears up to get Strickland ready for what’s coming. In his evaluation, Adesanya’s superior performance in the middleweight division ranks him as a monumental challenge to virtually every contender. He stated, “I think it’s a horrible matchup. Adesanya’s a horrible matchup for a lot of guys.” Yet, the daunting task does not undermine Nicksick’s faith in Strickland’s ability and toughness.
A technical striking approach against Adesanya is deemed unlikely to yield a victory, so Nicksick plans to veer away from this conventional tactic. Instead, he believes that strategizing around Strickland’s inherent striking strength and unconventional approaches may be the best option against Adesanya. Strickland’s endurance, resilience, and ability to incite gritty fights are traits Nicksick holds dear. He loves Strickland’s predisposition to steer fights into deeper rounds, putting pressure on opponents and making the fight rough and intense.
Strickland has a reputation for his aggressive, volume-striking style, always pushing forward and bombarding his competitors with persistent punches. This relentless style is effective in wearing down opponents over five rounds, and that’s how long Strickland will face Adesanya. Nicksick is aware of the hard work required in preparation for the fight in September, identifying it as an uphill battle to find faults in Adesanya’s game. Still, he remains confident that there lies a way to win. Nicksick stated, “That would definitely be key for us — how do we make it our fight, make it a backyard brawl, make it ugly?” Strickland would need to be meticulous and extremely focused while executing the strategy since the smallest misstep can result in costly consequences.