The long-winding Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in Saudi Arabia took a big hit late last week when Khamzat Chimaev withdrew from his main event fight against Robert Whittaker because of a mystery illness. After a behind-the-scenes scramble, Ikram Aliskerov was selected as Whittaker’s new opponent. But, in another universe where cell service across America is better, Bo Nickal might have ended up getting the fight.
In a new interview on his YouTube channel, Nickal confirmed that UFC had called him regarding the headline vacancy. Alas, he was on one of his deep country walkabouts and ended up being a few days slow on getting back to them.
“I did get a call, yeah,” Nickal said. “Unfortunately, I got a call while I was in the mountains of Montana and I didn’t get back to cell service for three days. I came back into cell service to a few text messages saying, ‘Call me back, call me back, call me back!’ And … it was too late.”
Nickal didn’t sound particularly excited about the opportunity, saying “Honestly, I don’t really want go to Saudi Arabia and fight, that’s freaking far as crap.”
But, UFC was willing to make it worth his while.
“I’m not going to disclose numbers, but they were up there,” he said with a smile. “But, it was just too late. I couldn’t even really consider it because they had already kind of figured everything out, the way they were going to do it because I was gone.”
As for Chimaev, who has gone back-and-forth multiple times with Nickal through social media and the press?
“The dude’s losing his aura a bit,” Nickal said. “I don’t think he’s over-training. I think he’s over partying. I don’t know. What else would it be? I’ve just heard rumors about him and Till and stuff, like crazy stuff.”
Nickal’s last fight was a second round finish of Cody Brundage at UFC 300, and we still don’t have confirmation on when he’ll fight again. But, there are reports that UFC is eyeing UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden for the three-time NCAA Division I national champion.
On one hand, New York is a lot closer than Saudi Arabia, and now he won’t have to face “The Reaper.” On the other, New York taxes are killer and there’s no Saudi salary bump for saving a card last-minute.
As we’ve learned with other late replacements, what’s good for the wallet isn’t always what’s good for the career. It’s probably for the best Nickal missed that call and all the financial temptation that came with it.
Man, he was saying he was hoping to fight 3x this year and get back in there in June or July to make it happen.
When an great talent like a Nickal, Umar, Chimaev etc… is climbing the ranks… you want to see them fighting 3x a year vs 1x or 2x.
Twenty years ago “big names” and champs fought 4x a year.
Ten years ago they fought 3x.
We are down to 2x and sometimes 1x.
Fucking USADA.
PRIDE stars were fighting 3-7x a year.
Now we got UFC champs fighting once a year and once guys hit the top 15 they fight 2x a year.
Igor used to call fighting 2x a normal Saturday.
No more USADA and it keeps happening grrrrrr
Champs in particular are so inactive for the most part.
They got a drug testing program going though. You won’t be seeing say a prime Mark Kerr arrive on the scene at HW anytime soon.
Bo Vs Bobby would have moved my Needle (dick)
More than this chin strap goat F**ker
This is not true. Fedor held out a couple times.
It’s not expensive to buy a Garmin inReach Mini 2 for emergency contacts. My girlfriend does 100 mile ultramarathons and carries it. Anytime we go into the deep woods we still get text messages just in case.
I made a general statement and you say my general statement is not true because of a Fedor specific?
Look at the record, when Fedor was in PRIDE he fought 3-5x a year besides 2006 when he fought 2x.
On average, PRIDE’s twenty biggest stars were a lot more active than UFC’s twenty biggest stars of the 2020’s.
Crocop took 5 fights in the year leading up to his Fedor fight and Fedor had 4.
Man, I know you cant train all the time and you need breaks but Bo should be in the gym training technique getting his body and mind comfortable with standup. He doesnt have to go hard and wear his body out but consistent repetitive training for body memory would good for him. He had a late start and he doesnt have that much time in his career.
Let em juice. Who gives a shit.
Bo wants none of Whittaker. Stick to crushing cans like usual
If I was hiding from a drug test, I’d tell em I was deep in dem mountains & couldn’t be reached.
First I would try & check to see if that excuse has already been used, I know there aren’t many good ones still available.
I never considered the hunting USADA avoidance strategy. Also, Bo is a littlle too lackadaisical for my liking lately. Acts like he has all the damn time in the world and is a 2x a year fighter. Ive said before his elk hunting is his Ramadan
I understand managing a career and being strategic, but there is just no urgency.
I wasn’t actually blaming his trailblazing escapade on getting out of a drug test, just saying that one might be able to pull that off.
Bo looks like the least likely to be on gear out of the whole roster.