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As one of the most respected coaches in MMA, Francis Ngannou’s coach Dewey Cooper was surprised to hear criticism from Sean Strickland but chose not to retaliate in the moment.
Appearing on the March 4 edition of The MMA Hour, Cooper addressed the comments from Strickland originating nine months prior. Cooper claimed the criticism did not bother him, and he chose not to respond due to their shared connection with Xtreme Couture and Eric Nicksick.
Cooper told Ariel Helwani:
"If the stuff Sean [Strickland] said bothered me, the whole world would've knew it 'cause it would've been bad. Don't think I'm some weak dude who just lets people disrespect him. The reason why I didn't have any kind of reply or rebuttal is because I've been at Xtreme Couture training guys there for many years, man... Eric Nicksick is like family to me."
The comments Cooper retorted extend back to July 2023 when Strickland called the coach a 'glorified kickboxing coach' ahead of his main event fight with Abus Magomedov. Strickland criticized the coaching of Cooper in relation to his pupil Marvin Vettori's performance against Jared Cannonier the month prior.
Cooper, a primarily striking coach, is now most known as Francis Ngannou's boxing coach and appeared on The MMA Hour to discuss his fighter's upcoming bout with Anthony Joshua. A former fighter himself, Cooper has also worked with several other notable fighters associated with Xtreme Couture, including Vettori, Javid Basharat, Farid Basharat, and Daniel Zellhuber, among others.
Fans give high praise to Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou 'Knockout' promo video
As high as the bar was set from the 'Battle of the Baddest' promo video featuring Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury, the promoters of 'Knockout' managed to top expectations.
As Ngannou's upcoming bout with Anthony Joshua inches closer, fans could only praise the video, with some labeling it as the 'best promo ever.'
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will headline a six-fight card available on DAZN PPV in most countries. The first fight of the night is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
