Bo Nickal did win his UFC 309 bout against Paul Craig via an unanimous decision. However, the former NCAA wrestling star failed to impress or establish his credentials in what was the toughest test in his nascent MMA career so far. Nickal has not arrived amongst the big boys in the division, felt Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, analysing the 28-year-old’s performance against Craig, a submission exponent.
Nickal, who made his way into the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, was cautious against Craig. So conservative that he never went for takedowns, a forte of his. At one point the crowd was chanting ‘overrated’, dissing the hype around the American. Rogan and Cormier both felt that Nickal is not ready to take on middleweight star Khazmat Chimaev yet.
DC is correct. Khamzat would eat Bo Nickal alive
— Lloyd. (@Lloydbhudda) November 17, 2024
Rogan and Cormier agreed that Nickal, with his 6-0 UFC record, has the talent to reach the upper echelons of the sport. However, his MMA journey is just three years old and he needs to develop a lot more before he can think of facing a quality fighter like Chimaev.
A look at how the Nickal-Craig bout played out
Both the fighters were cagey and were seen sizing each other up early on in the bout. Leg kicks and jabs were employed liberally in the first round as they got a feel of each other. While there was no clear winner in the round, Bo edged Craig on the cards with a bit more evident control over the exchanges.
In the second round, Nickal had a lot more success after mixing the leg kicks with some good left hands. He was able to land early and often hard body punches. The round still remained close, but Nickal again managed to sway the judges into his favor by landing some decisive blows.
Toward the end of the third round, Nickal landed a huge left hand that stunned Craig. By that time, Craig knew he had to go for the kill and and went all out on attack. Nickal, on the other hand, remained patient and picked his shots.
Interestingly, Nickal banked on his striking rather than grappling to do enough to get the nod from all the three judges.
With analysts and fans alike feeling that Nickal needs a bit more seasoning, it would be interesting to see who the UFC will match him up with next.
