Chael Sonnen has a message for the UFC – book Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal now. Sonnen sees this as the perfect matchup, comparing it to UFC 310 when the promotion threw debuting fighter Kai Asakura straight into the deep end against Alexandre Pantoja for a title shot.
For Sonnen, Nickal and Chimaev have all the ingredients for a blockbuster fight – talent, hype, and a shared aggressive style. With both fighters on the rise, Sonnen believes the UFC needs to act fast and set this up before contracts shift or opportunities slip away.
While speaking to Daniel Cormier on a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Sonnen was asked what fights he needs to see in 2025 apart from Jones vs Aspinall.
Without hesitating Chael called for the middleweight supergight, claiming that the company could not keep the two fighters separated forever. Sonnen then took a job at UFC’s reason for not matching them and said,
“We’re told we don’t get to see this fight because of the discrepancy in the rankings. Now Chimaev has put himself in a spot to go and fight for the title. Those two have been aligned from jump street. I don’t know why we’re keeping them apart when we’ve got guys under contract. Make the fights you can make while you can make them.”
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Cormier, however, wasn’t quite on board with Sonnen’s suggestion to book Chimaev vs. Nickal just yet. While Sonnen sees it as a must-make fight, Cormier pushed back.
Cormier believes Nickal still needs time to grow and gain experience before stepping in with top-tier fighters like Chimaev. Fast-tracking Nickal into elite competition too early could stunt his development and derail his potential, rather than setting him up for long-term success.
Besides, Chimaev has already set himself up for bigger challenges than Nickal.
Chimaev awaits title shot in 2025
After steamrolling former champ Robert Whittaker with a first-round submission at UFC 308, Chimaev (14-0) has firmly placed himself in the middleweight title conversation. It was actually hoped that Chimaev would travel to Australia for UFC 312 and fight for the title against Dricus Du Plessis in Sydney.
However, former champion Sean Strickland seems to have edged him out in that regard.
That said, UFC president, Dana White couldn’t hide his excitement during The Jim Rome Show, praising Chimaev’s performance.
“His manager told me he’s the best he’s ever been – and man, he wasn’t lying,” White said.
“Chimaev looked incredible, especially against someone like Whittaker. I’m hoping he fights for the title in 2025, and I want it to happen in the U.S.”
Chimaev hasn’t fought in the States since submitting Kevin Holland at UFC 279, but if he were to fight for the title, there’s nothing like a roaring crowd in the USA to do it in front of.
