Despite winning his UFC 309 bout against Paul Craig via an unanimous decision, Bo Nickal has failed to impress or establish his credentials in the promotion. Craig, a submission exponent, was the 28-year-old former wrestler’s toughest test in his nascent MMA career so far. Judging his performance, both Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier felt that Nickal is yet to arrive amongst the big boys in the division.
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, his supposed forte. 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
Considering his 6-0 UFC record, and the way he fought, Nickal certainly has the talent to reach the upper echelons of the sport, acknowledged Rogan and Cormier. However, his MMA journey is just three years old and he needs to develop a lot more before he can think of facing quality fighters.
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 after displaying a bit more 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 in 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 and just about did 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.
