There are a few fighters in the UFC who are unanimously recognized as the next big stars. Chief among them is former collegiate wrestling phenom, Bo Nickal. Despite intense backlash, Nickal got onto the main card at UFC 300 ahead of the likes of Aljamain Sterling and Jiri Prochazka. This shows how heavily the UFC is betting on Nickal to become the next star in the promotion.
If Nickal were to keep winning, he would soon be butting heads with another star in his division, Khamzat Chimaev. However, the 28-year-old believes he is still a few steps away from challenging Chimaev. The Colorado native recently sat down for an interview with ESPN MMA, during which he shared his thoughts on a potential fight against Chimaev, and revealed the key ingredient missing for him to challenge the star.
“Man it would be amazing first off. That is something I visualise and something I am excited about. Something that really gets me motivated. I think there is a lot that needs to happen, but to dumb it down, we both need to keep winning. The most hype possible would be for the belt. He is obviously further ahead in his career than I am. I need to get some more experience. We will matchup eventually I am sure.”
Nickal made his UFC debut on Dana White’s contender series. He secured two finishes against the likes of Donovan Beard and Jamie Pickett before being handed a spot on the roster. In his full UFC debut, Nickal secured a stunning first-round knockout win over Valentine Woodburn to announce his arrival in the promotion.
A closer look at a potential fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal
Khamzat Chimaev is currently ranked 11th in the UFC’s middleweight division. He is set to take on Robert Whittaker later this year as the UFC makes its debut in Saudi Arabia. If Chimaev can secure a win in the Middle East, he will undoubtedly be next in line for a title shot. However, Nickal still has a long way to go before he can enter that conversation.
Nickal made it quite apparent that both fighters need to keep winning to face each other in the near future. This anticipation will make the fight even more exciting when it eventually materializes.
