Sean Strickland reveals what it's like to spend a training camp with Josh Koscheck
When Sean Strickland first met Josh Koscheck, the UFC middleweight started to understand why so many fans made him the most hated man in the promotion following his stint on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Strickland traveled to Fresno, Calif., to work with Koscheck while he prepared for his bout this weekend against Santiago Ponzinibbio as he also helped the veteran UFC fighter get ready for his fight against Jake Ellenberger at UFC 184.
If relationships were based on first impressions, Strickland was off to a rocky start the first time he encountered Koscheck for a training session at his gym.
"When I first met him, he has this personality you don't really want to talk to him, you don't want to be his friend. You just want to spar with him and leave cause he has this personality," Strickland said with a laugh when speaking to FOX Sports.
"I think it's because he's so much of a d--k, his camp is run so well. The rounds, the intensity, the pace, it's by far one of the best camps I've ever trained at."
It didn't take long being around Koscheck for Strickland to believe all the rumors about the former welterweight title contender to be true. He didn't find him to be an overly friendly guy much less all that inviting considering they were now training partners with both of them having big fights coming soon.
But what Strickland realized after just a few days working alongside Koscheck was once he got to know the former NCAA wrestling champion, his grumpy demeanor quickly dissipates into a phenomenal teacher and training partner once the action begins.
"When I first met him I was like 'you're a d--k' I don't even want to talk to you, but then we started talking about political ideologies and we started warming up to each other. By the time I left, Koscheck was a really cool guy," Strickland said. "I think Koscheck is just so angry, you have to kind of chip away to get his guard down.
"He's a fantastic guy but your first impression of him you think he wants to knock you out."
Once the two UFC fighters started working together and actually got to know each other, Strickland realized something quite startling about Koscheck -- he was actually a really nice guy.
"He runs a great camp, but sometimes when you talk to him it's like, 'Do you hate me?' I feel like in my mind I was thinking what am I doing here? He hates me. But once you get to know him, he's a super cool guy and he's just an angry bastard like every other fighter," Strickland said. "He offered to let me stay at his home and he was nothing but gracious to me. He seems like a real stand-up guy."
The extra training at Koscheck's gym gave Strickland the push he believes he needed to put on a stellar performance this weekend in Brazil.
While his last fight ended in victory, Strickland probably didn't earn many fans with his performance, pulling off a close decision over former Ultimate Fighter contender Luke Barnatt. Strickland did what he had to do to win, but promises things will be different when he faces Ponzinibbio this weekend.
"If I'm Joe Silva and I'm looking at my last fight -- I backed up, I threw a lot of jabs and it kind of made for a boring fight. You take Santiago (Ponzinibbio) and he's the kind of guy he bites his mouthpiece and comes after you," Strickland said. "So I think the UFC is looking at it like stylistically this could be a very exciting fight. That's what I took away from the matchup."
Strickland also puts pressure on himself to perform because he's been a high-volume finisher for his entire career and the last thing he ever wants to do is gain a reputation for being a boring fighter. So he plans on putting on a show for the Brazilian fans Sunday night and finishing Ponzinibbio away in exciting fashion.
"For the fact that I'm coming off a three round decision makes me want to finish him," Strickland said. "Like in my mind, I have to finish him."
