Sean Strickland’s head coach believes dictating the pace will be key to a successful title defense against Dricus Du Plessis.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ will put his strap on the line in the main event at UFC 297 next month in Toronto.
Nicksick, Strickland’s head coach at Xtreme Couture, recently laid out the champ’s roadmap to victory against the South African standout. Nicksick expects “Stillknocks” (20-2) to come out guns blazing in the initial rounds, where he believes it’ll be crucial for Strickland (28-5) to establish control. While Nicksick expects an exciting scrap, he claims Strickland will take over as the fight progresses.