{"id":230103,"date":"2026-02-24T08:43:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/both-guys-are-great-sean-stricklands-coach-shuts-down-tarzans-bold-khamzat-chimaev-sparring-session-claims\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:43:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:43:14","slug":"both-guys-are-great-sean-stricklands-coach-shuts-down-tarzans-bold-khamzat-chimaev-sparring-session-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/both-guys-are-great-sean-stricklands-coach-shuts-down-tarzans-bold-khamzat-chimaev-sparring-session-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Both guys are great&#8221; &#8211; Sean Strickland&#8217;s coach shuts down &#8216;Tarzan&#8217;s&#8217; bold Khamzat Chimaev sparring session claims"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5128568\" data-slug-id=\"2740683\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sean Strickland&#8217;s coach, Eric Nicksick, doesn&#8217;t appear pleased with his pupil&#8217;s bold claims about dominating Khamzat Chimaev in training. As the coach sees it, what transpires in the training room should stay in the training room.<\/p>\n<p>For context, during the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ChampRDS\/status\/2025617699741618188\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">post-fight press conference<\/a> following his UFC Houston knockout win over Anthony Hernandez, Strickland proclaimed that he made Chimaev quit in training while also accusing &#8216;Borz&#8217; of picking less experienced opponents in the gym:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Bro, I made him quit in training&#8230; We were doing positional grappling. I start on my back, and I was like, first round, I let him f**king choke me, because it was like positional grappling. No one gives a f**k. Let me tell you about this little b***h&#8230; Every time Chimaev walks into the gym, he would pick the smallest, lowest-level pro.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Nicksick didn&#8217;t seem to approve of Strickland&#8217;s comments. As the MMA coach sees it, the public should not be privy to what transpires in training:<\/p>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline top\" data-tab=\"top\">\n<p>Get the latest updates on One Championship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/one-championship-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"top\">Rankings<\/a> at Sportskeeda and more<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I think what happens in the training room should stay in the training room. Training is training; guys should be putting themselves in less advantageous positions to make themselves better. Thinking that just because you beat a guy in the training room, whether you&#8217;re on the A side or B side, you shouldn&#8217;t take that into the fight. What happens in the training room, I feel like, should stay in the room. I think both guys are great competitors and game opponents.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Check out Sean Strickland&#8217;s coach Eric Nicksick&#8217;s comments below:<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Khamzat Chimaev claps back at Sean Strickland<\/h2>\n<p>Safe to say Khamzat Chimaev took notice of Sean Strickland&#8217;s bold training room claims. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KChimaev\/status\/2026050617949687922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">recent post on X<\/a>, the Chechen-born Emirati clapped back at &#8216;Tarzan&#8217;, writing:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Habibi, calm down. I destroyed the guy who beat you twice. American b***h.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For context, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/news-ufc-319-dricus-du-plessis-vs-khamzat-chimaev-full-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">UFC 319<\/a>, Chimaev captured the middleweight title with a lopsided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/news-made-ddp-look-like-amateur-hugging-champ-world-fans-divided-khamzat-chimaev-dethrones-dricus-du-plessis-ufc-319\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">decision win<\/a> over Dricus du Plessis. Interestingly, &#8216;Stillknocks&#8217; holds two wins over Strickland &#8211; A split decision at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/go\/ufc-297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">UFC 297<\/a> and a unanimous decision at UFC 312.<\/p>\n<p>Chimaev is currently on hiatus from MMA, recovering from a foot injury, and is expected to return by the end of March, following Ramadan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Ujwal Jain<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/mma\/news-both-guys-great-sean-strickland-s-coach-shuts-tarzan-s-bold-khamzat-chimaev-sparring-session-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sean Strickland&#8217;s coach, Eric Nicksick, doesn&#8217;t appear pleased with his pupil&#8217;s bold claims about dominating Khamzat Chimaev in training. As the coach sees it, what transpires in the training room should stay in the training room. For context, during the post-fight press conference following his UFC Houston knockout win over Anthony Hernandez, Strickland proclaimed that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":230104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-230103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/230104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}