Slated to make his return at UFC 309 this weekend, unbeaten middleweight, Bo Nickal claims it’s likely “inevitable” he and fellow undefeated star, Khamzat Chimaev share the Octagon in the future — as he prepares for a pairing with Scottish grappler, Paul Craig.
Nickal, a decorated amateur wrestler, boasts an unbeaten 6-0 professional mixed martial arts record since his transition to combat sports, most recently featuring at UFC 300 earlier this annum.
And landing his third Octagon win, Nickal landed an eventual second round win over Cody Brundage, submitting him with a rear-naked choke to add to other stoppage wins over both Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn.
Bo Nickal plays up “inevitable” fight with Khamzat Chimaev
As for the undefeated, Chimaev, the Chechen-born challenger turned in another high-profile win last month at UFC 308, submitting former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker with a gruesome face crank, landing his fourteenth straight win and the number three rank in the division to boot.
And forced linked with a potential grudge fight in the future, Nickal claimed ahead of his UFC 309 return at Madison Square Garden, that a future pairing with the Chechen is likely “inevitable”.
“First off, his (Khamzat Chimaev) fight against (Robert) Whittaker was really impressive,” Bo Nickal explained during an interview with ESPN. “To see somebody do that to a veteran, a guy who’s been champion and defended his belt, that’s an incredible feat.
“Watching the fight, I was very impressed and every time I fight, we get closer [to that being put together] … He’s obviously quite a way ahead of me, I’m just looking to catch up and it seems like, as you said, that’s kind of an inevitable thing,” Bo Nickal said. “I hope he does [stay undefeated], I was rooting for him to win against Whittaker, and he did amazing… I also liked the build-up, hearing his interviews and his demeanor, it seemed different. I think we’re a lot more similar than what I thought originally.”