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Xtreme Couture’s head coach Eric Nicksick had a hell of a 2023. He lead Francis Ngannou to a aggressive cut up choice loss in opposition to Tyson Fury in boxing, after which helped Sean Strickland defeat Israel Adesanya to seize the UFC middleweight championship.
2024 is off to a tough begin, although: Strickland just lost the belt in his first title protection in opposition to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. It was an in depth struggle: a cut up choice that Sean got here inside one level on one scorecard of profitable. In Nicksick’s thoughts, his pupil ought to have gained.
“The struggle was shut,” he wrote in an Instagram publish Sunday morning. “Shut fights imply we wanted to win the optics battle. Reside, I had us profitable 1, 2, and 5, however all that issues are the three [judges] cage facet. I’ll watch it once more, to see the place we / I will be higher. A lot like to everybody who supported us. On to the subsequent!”
When Nicksick is speaking about optics, he’s speaking concerning the notion of the struggle versus the precise substance of the struggle. So although he noticed Strickland profitable the technical battle, he knew Du Plessis was most likely swaying the judges together with his extra explosive assaults and ahead motion. That gusher on Sean’s head (from a headbutt?) most likely didn’t assist both.
The 2 judges that scored the fight for Du Plessis had Strickland profitable simply rounds 1 and 5. Dissenting choose Sal D’Amato had Strickland profitable spherical 3 as nicely. None of them handed spherical 2 to Strickland, regardless of it being the spherical the place his jab began to seal up the attention of “DDP.”
Nicksick additionally had some type phrases for Du Plessis and his crew.
“I by no means met a extra elegant opposing fighter throughout struggle week, together with the talents to again it up,” he wrote. “I’m glad for you, your crew, and your nation, you made them proud.”
Du Plessis confirmed up within the feedback to answer “Thanks a lot for the sort phrases coach, you and the crew are unbelievable and it was an honor to battle the very best within the enterprise. Thanks for the conflict and the true warrior like respect earlier than and after the conflict.”
It’s considerably shocking to see Strickland vs. Du Plessis finish with such a show of mutual admiration and appreciation, contemplating the 2 have been brawling in public a mere month in the past. That’s the therapeutic energy of blended martial arts on show. After 5 exhausting rounds, there’s nothing a lot left however respect.
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