Slated to make his third Octagon walk at UFC 300 in April, unbeaten wrestling ace, Bo Nickal remains supremely confident of beating fellow unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev in a future pairing – which fans within the space believe is almost a certainty in the near future.
Nickal, a former two-time feature on Dana White’s Contender Series, continues his high-profile run in the promotion this year as he makes his return in search of a third consecutive victory, as he takes on Cody Brundage.
As for Chimaev, the unbeaten middleweight contender turned in the most high-profile and notable victory of his also brief Octagon tenure back in October of last year in the co-main event of UFC 294.
Drawing former undisputed welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman, Chechen-born contender, Chimaev landed a close, majority decision victory over the Auchi native, however, has been sidelined through hand surgery and a mysterious illness in the time since his triumph.
Bo Nickal claims he wins a future fight with Khamzat Chimaev
And playing up the possibility of a future pairing with the surging Chimaev, Nickal, who made short work of both Jamie Pickett and then Val Woodburn in March and July of last year, respectively, claims he would likely hand Chimaev a defeat if they share the Octagon in the future.
“He’s a tough guy, of course,” Bo Nickal told MMA Fighting of Khamzat Chimaev. “When you have a guy like Kamaru Usman, who is one of the all-time greats at his weight class, he was a champion, defended the belt multiple times, good wrestling base, and he [Chimaev] is able to take him down and control him like what he did in the first round, I think there’s a lot to be said for that.”
“But, at the same time, I believe in myself, and I think my skills match up very well against him,” Bo Nickal explained. “I feel like that’s a fight that I win.”
Who wins a potential future showdown: Khamzat Chimaev or Bo Nickal?