Coach: Sean Strickland staying 'calm and cool' critical vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Undefeated UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev enters each of his fights with a boogeyman aura about him that perhaps has affected previous opponents, but Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick is certain that won't be the case with Sean Strickland . Given Strickland's knack for unsavory trash talk, which he's already hurled Chimaev's way , there's genuine concern from at least one UFC analyst that the tension between both men will get "real ugly" as UFC 328 ( Paramount+ ) draws near. So when Strickland steps into the octagon to fight Chimaev on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark N.

J. , Nicksick knows his challenge is to make sure his fighter finds the right balance between aggression and patience. "It's one of those situations with Sean where he's gonna meet you in the middle, and he's not gonna back down, he's not gonna be timid.

But we also have to understand how to manage that type of energy," Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. "You don't want to go out there, turn this into a bar fight, and both guys are dead tired by the end of the second round or something like that. Minimizing your risk (is key) but also allowing your guy to do what he does really well, and that's put pressure on people – but doing it smartly.

You don't want to overthrow, you don't want to be keeping yourself off balance, because that's where Khamzat does a very good job of making his connections. "So keeping (Strickland) calm and cool, certainly in the first couple of rounds, is gonna be very important. And then once we can start taxing Khamzat in the later rounds, if it gets that far, then that's where I think Sean can start opening up and applying his game plan.