Despite their potential clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bo Nikal has nothing but praise for Khamzat Chimaev.
Chimaev earned a shot at the middleweight title with a first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last month. The undefeated Chechen-born Swede has relied on elite grappling to rise to prominence, but Nikal, a former three-time NCAA Division I champion, could be the answer to Chimaev’s stifling style.
Nickal himself has been impressed with Chimaev’s wrestling ever since he first saw “Bolts” choke out John Phillips in Abu Dhabi in his 2020 UFC debut. However, the Penn State graduate agrees that stylistically he could be the toughest threat to Chimaev. Nikkal is also aware that a matchup with Chimaev is a long shot.
UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
“I’ve been very impressed with him since the first time I saw him fight,” Nickal told Submission Radio. “I thought his first fight in the UFC against COVID-19 in Abu Dhabi made him an exceptional fighter. It’s no different than what other people think. When it comes to grappling, he’s a great fighter. You saw what he did to a super tough guy in Robert Whitaker, so you can’t take that away from him. But looking at the matchup, I feel like I’m probably the only one in that department that can really match him. And, hopefully, we’ll see a fight like that eventually. I think there’s a lot of work to do. He’s right up there with the title fight, so there’s still a lot of fight going on for me.”
Knickal’s first step toward climbing into the rankings will be a win over Paul Craig on the main card of UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Knickal is undefeated in six professional fights (all finishes), fresh off a submission victory over Cody Brundage at UFC 300 in April of this year.
