Nickal needs to relax a bit lol
UFC newcomer and highly-touted middleweight prospect Bo Nickal believes he and Khamzat Chimaev are on a collision course with destiny.
The three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and American Top Team product has yet to make his UFC debut but claims he is already ready to fight Khamzat who is undefeated in the UFC and tipped as a future two-weight champion.
Colorado-born Nickal was featured as a guest on Michael Bisping’s YouTube podcast where he hyped a future showdown with Chimaev as ‘one of the biggest fights in UFC history’ and a matchup that needs to happen to determine the best wrestler in the promotion.
“Let’s go. I’m Ready,” Nickal (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) told Bisping (h/t Low Kick MMA). “I’m ready for him right now, he’s a good matchup for me. He’s not taking me down, he’s not doing nothing to me.“
“I’m 6 foot 1, 205lbs, I’m a full grown ‘85er’, and yeah, that’s a matchup I really really want. I feel like he’s been in MMA longer than me and is a little ahead of me in terms of the organization, but I think without a doubt we have to match up at some point.“
He continued: “If he stays undefeated, keeps winning, I think that could be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. He competes really hard. He goes hard from the first whistle. He seems a little emotional to me, I don’t really know that he makes the best decision. We saw that in the gilbert burns fight, all of a sudden he’s just slangin’ and bangin’ with this dude for real no reason.
“When I watch his actual wrestling stuff, he’s basically a 25-year-old man wrestling high school kids in Sweden, there’s not really much to be said about that.”
Nickal, 26, was expected to make his Octagon debut next month at UFC 282 against Jamie Pickett but was forced out of the matchup due to injury. He signed with the UFC in September following an impressive 52-second submission of Donovan Beard (7-2 MMA) at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.
First time I’ve seen what he weighs. Sure heavier than he looks. He just may rag doll Chimaev
If you really feel you’re ready for the likes of Khamzat and are constantly going to call him out, you’ve no business accepting fights with Jamie Pickett. That’s way below you, almost bullying. You have enough hype to entice most of the top 15 to fight you right now and that’s what you should demand. If you really believe the things you say.
That IS
A Good Example
Bo is trying to keep the buzz going after his DWCS fights even though he won’t fight until March.
Smart.
Hopefully he does not shit talk everyone on fight night like Conor does because if he were to do that, you know the media would do clickbate articles on it as they do with Conor and Jones tweets.
khamzat fights at 170, ufc trying to keep him there because he is small for 185
fight wont happen, i dont know why he keeps talking about it
Chimaev fights at WW and MW. He is still at WW because he wants to win that belt and then go after the MW belt with added muscle.
Has nothing to do with UFC keeping him there.
I noticed
I would like to see that fight. Khamzat may be ahead in striking but I don’t think he will avoid at least a couple of takedowns.
Wrong, he’s goal oriented. Like Ali said, it ain’t bragging if you can back it up. I want to see young hungry fighters expressing their commitment to being the best.
Only chance this fight happens is if Khamzat asks for it which is what Bo is trying to get him to do. Its not rocket surgery
It’s going to be a standup fight because their grappling will negate eachother, though Nickel has the edge in wrestling.
Khamzat’s striking is pretty sloppy but he does have power, so does Nickel but Khamzat is more proven on the feet.
I think it comes down to cardio. Will Hazmats Covid lungs hold up? It looked like Burn would have won a 5 rounder
of course
Maybe he should face a top 20 guy before calling out one of the best in the world.
It’s going to be great when this ginger gets smashed
I like Bo Nickal. Awesome to see an American wrestler with this much potential. Hopefully he has great cardio and a chin. If he does he’s a very hard fight for anyone.