“90 percent of it will be cut… Understandably so lol.” Remember when Sean Strickland casually tossed out this line about his unfiltered interview with Nina Marie Daniele before UFC 312? Well, turns out the repercussions might be catching up with him. Or at least, that’s how he’s playing it off.

Because right now, Strickland isn’t just dealing with the usual post-fight criticism from fans and analysts. His own coach, Eric Nicksick, just put him on blast. And we’re not talking about a subtle nudge here. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Nicksick didn’t hold back, “I think [Sean Strickland] needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport. If it’s just to make money, then that’s great. Let us know. I wanna coach world champions.”

That’s not just a critique, that’s an ultimatum. If Tarzan’s plan is to cash in rather than chase UFC gold, Nicksick wants to know so he can focus on fighters who actually want to be the best. And just when you think things couldn’t get any more uncomfortable, Strickland decided to handle it in the most Sean Strickland way possible. Instead of addressing his coach’s brutal honesty head-on, Strickland took to social media and fired off a joke. Replying to The Mac Life‘s Instagram post about Nicksick’s comments, Strickland quipped, “@ninamariedaniele I told you not to make fun of his hair transplant lol.” Classic Strickland deflection? Maybe. Hilarious? Absolutely.

But beyond the humor, there’s a real issue here. Strickland’s UFC 312 performance against Dricus du Plessis left plenty of people baffled, including his own corner. And not just because he lost. This was the same guy who had been calling Du Plessis’ UFC 297 win a robbery, throwing around accusations and hyping up a war. He talked about taking the fight to the death, about dragging the reigning champ into deep waters. Then fight night came… and none of that happened.

Instead, he seemed hesitant, unwilling to back up his pre-fight bravado. He had his coach in his ear after every round, urging him to make adjustments, to change things up. But the American couldn’t find that extra gear. Yes, he fought through a broken nose and showed some toughness, but in a fight where he needed to make a statement, he didn’t. And that’s exactly why the American’s UFC 312 performance left plenty of people baffled, including his own corner. And not just Nicksick.

Did Sean Strickland’s performance make the champ at his corner question his own role?

If Nicksick’s words weren’t enough of a wake-up call, Strickland might want to brace himself for what Alex Pereira had to say. The reigning UFC light heavyweight champ, who was in the corner, was reportedly just as confused as the rest of us watching at home.

“He’s [Alex Pereira] cool, man,” Nicksick recalled. “Like, he’s just, he’s intimidating as all hell. But he was cool, like, you know, leaned over a few times and, you know, he’s looking at me like, ‘What the hell’s going on with Sean?’ I’m looking at him like, man, we need to get this out of him, you know? So, no, he was cool.” Even Poatan, who rarely shows much emotion beyond his signature death stare, couldn’t hide his confusion. And he wasn’t the only one scratching his head. Dricus du Plessis, the man who handed Strickland that unanimous decision loss, had his own thoughts on Pereira’s presence in his opponent’s corner.

“He [Alex Pereira] was in the corner [of Sean Strickland] in the first fight too. I mean, they don’t even speak the same language, it doesn’t really make much of a difference whether he’s in the corner or not,” the South African said, barely holding back a laugh. And, honestly? He’s got a point. Pereira, despite being a force of nature in the octagon, still struggles with English. ‘Tarzan’, meanwhile, isn’t exactly known for his coachability. If he already has trouble processing advice from Nicksick, who speaks fluent English, how much of Pereira’s instructions was he actually absorbing?

Now, that raises an interesting question, was Strickland actually tapping into the wisdom of his high-profile corner? Because while ‘Tarzan’ is stuck at a crossroads, Pereira seems to be cruising, quite literally. Swapping e-bikes for G-Wagons in Darling Harbour. The champ looks like he’s enjoying his downtime while his former opponent-turned-corner-man tries to figure things out. Maybe he’s already moved on.

And honestly, did Poatan make the right call sacrificing his own training to play cornerman? Because with Magomed Ankalaev, the division’s top contender, looming, Pereira might have bigger things to worry about than deciphering Strickland’s fight-night choices.

One thing is clear, Strickland is at a make-or-break moment. His coach wants clarity, his closest training partner is confused, and his last performance has everyone wondering what’s next. So, does he take Nicksick’s words to heart and actually grind for another title shot? Or does he keep coasting, cracking jokes, and cashing checks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!