Bo Nickal’s bold claims about how he could potentially dominate Khamzat Chimaev in wrestling have sparked plenty of chatter in the MMA world. Daniel Cormier, whose wrestling prowess had held him in good stead during his illustrious UFC career, provided some perspective for Nickal to be mindful about. DC wanted the young fighter to try and be more humble while advertising his grappling superiority.
Cormier was impressed with the middleweight prospect’s confidence. However, he cited his own experience with Jon Jones while explaining that being a superior wrestler on paper doesn’t always guarantee success inside the octagon.
Cormier narrated that Jones, despite not having the same wrestling credentials as him, managed to outmaneuver him during their fights. DC is an Olympian in wrestling. He came 4th at the 2004 Games in Athens. Jones, on the other hand, was just a NJCAA champion.
However, when the two fought inside the octagon, Jones got the better of Cormier on both occasions. DC used this to explain why Chimaev could be a bigger challenge for Nickal than what the 28-year-old perceives.
“In theory, when you’re the better wrestler, you expect to be able to control the wrestling. In reality it is not as clear a line to define as one would think. I was that because I came over as the Olympian. I would have beaten Jon Jones 10-0. I would have beaten [Alexander] Gustafsson 10-0 no problem. Yet they both took me down,” said Cormier.
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According to Cormier, wrestling in MMA goes way beyond the standard moves like double legs, single legs, and high crotches. It involves clinch work, positioning, and defending takedowns against the cage. Not to mention striking, and getting hit while at it.
Nickal’s confidence in his skill-set is drawn largely from his illustrious college wrestling career. But experience in the cage matters just as much. And his approach to fighting only twice a year isn’t helping his cause either.
Bo has been in the UFC for almost three years now. And the middleweight fighter has only entered the octagon six times. That too, two of those fights were in the Dana White’s Contender Series. And he still remains unranked.
Nickal will have to deal with Chimaev’s strikes and power
Earlier this week, Chael Sonnen hyped up the need for the UFC to match up Nickal with Chimaev, claiming that the fight was inevitable. Nickal then invited Sonnen for a talk on his YouTube channel and emphasized that such a bout would deliver massive value to fans and the sport.
Nickal showed eagerness to test himself against one of the most formidable fighters in the division. He is confident his stamina and wrestling would tip the scales in his favor.
“You’re not going to take me down, which is your best attribute. So you’re going to have to strike with me. I’m probably going to be able to take you down. Maybe I don’t hold you down on the ground forever, but I can hold you down there for a little bit, and the longer the fight goes, the worse it’s going to get,” elaborated Nickal.
Well, Chimaev does have a tendency to spend a lot of his energy in the opening round. But he has been in 5-round battles too. Sure, Gilbert Burns took him to the cleaners and almost got the win. But Chimaev prevailed eventually.
Nickal hasn’t been in those situations yet. Besides, he also has Chimaev’s striking and power to worry about. And Bo is not exactly known for those attributes.
At the moment, considering where the two fighters stand in terms of quality and ranking, the fight could end up being a classic case of too much, too early for Nickal.
