Newly signed UFC middleweight Bo Nickal believes it's only a matter of time before he meets undefeated welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev, inside the Octagon.
Nickal spoke with the media on Tuesday night during the post-fight conference following the latest edition of Dana White's Contender Series and explained why he's confident his skillset would match up well with Chimaev's, although the three-time NCAA Division I National Champion wrestler knows a fight between the two isn't something that will happen anytime soon.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about as far as kidding,” Nickal said (h/t MMA Junkie). “I feel like that’s a good matchup for me. He’s obviously a high-level grappler, high-level fighter. He’s one of the top fighters not only in his division but in the UFC. I have a lot of respect for his skills but I also know what I’m about. So yeah. At some point. I’m making my UFC debut. He’s probably fighting for the title soon. So am I going to get that fight? Probably not. But I’m ready to go. It will happen in the future. I’ll be more than prepared then. He’s good without a doubt. You can’t take that away from him. He’s got skills and he does a lot of things really well. That being said, ask anybody who knows anything about wrestling, who watches the sport, studies it, and puts time into it. I’m one of the best wrestlers in the world. You can go in the Penn State room, still to this day, without having wrestled a year-and-a-half, I’m still right there. There’s just a different level there. It’s like the same thing as putting a high-level jiu-jitsu guy in the UFC and in an ADCC competition. Yeah, I’m good at wrestling. I’m world-class. It’s different. Again, respect to him. Respect again. I respect his skills, but I also know what I’m about."
BO NICKAL GETS IT DONE IN UNDER A MINUTE! #DWCS pic.twitter.com/IDkLeYpj7F
— UFC (@ufc) September 28, 2022
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