Following a statement win at UFC Houston, Sean Strickland is once again positioning himself in the middleweight title conversation, and his team is already outlining a potential blueprint for reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev.
Former 185-pound titleholder Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) scored a third-round knockout over Anthony Hernandez (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) on Saturday night, handing “Fluffy” a decisive loss in a bout that carried stylistic similarities to a potential championship clash. Hernandez is widely regarded as a relentless pressure fighter with a wrestling-heavy attack, making the matchup a meaningful litmus test for how Strickland might fare against Chimaev’s (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) suffocating grappling.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick detailed how the team would approach Chimaev’s chain wrestling, an area that has consistently overwhelmed opponents throughout the champion’s rise.
“We’re going to have our work cut out for us,” Nicksick admitted. “But we can shut some of that stuff down and make him doubt himself on any of these routes that he's on. Especially when it comes to the ground game, he's very systematic.”
Nicksick emphasized the importance of disrupting Chimaev’s rhythm rather than simply defending single shots. According to the veteran coach, the key lies in interrupting the champion’s chain-wrestling sequences, forcing resets and creating hesitation.
“If we can disrupt some of those chain wrestling attacks that he puts together and make him restart, and put some doubt in his mind, I think that's where we have to be successful,” Nicksick said.
Equally critical, he noted, is making Chimaev pay for failed entries.
“When you defend those takedowns (and if and when you defend them) making him pay for it. Telling him, ‘Hey, if you're going to come in here, you're going to have to pay a price for that.’”
