Bo Nikal recently made bold claims about a possible conflict with Khamzat Chimaev.
Since joining Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023, Nikkal has been seen as a potential complement to Chimaev’s wrestling. Nickal, a former three-time NCAA Division I national champion, was living up to those expectations until recently. Nickal has finished six of his seven professional fights, with the Penn State product coming off a unanimous decision victory over Paul Craig in his most recent bout at UFC 309 in November of this year. In that match, Nikkal was hesitant to face “Bear Jew”, known for his tricky jiu-jitsu, on the ground.
Nikal’s recent performances have led to questions about whether the 28-year-old can match up to Chimaev, who is close to winning the title. But Nikkal is confident of beating the Chechen-born Swede. According to Nikal, he will be able to win most of the potential grappling fights with Chimaev. Nikal believes that Chimaev’s gas tank will run dry as the fight progresses, but that Chimaev will only recover.
“It’s hard to say exactly where he is right now,” Nickal said recently on his YouTube channel. “I think he’s good and he’s got the skill. But the biggest thing that knocks him down, especially in a fight with me, is — hey, you’re going to get tired. You’re going to go like this. [downwards] and I’m going to go like this [upwards] As the battle continues. And you’re not going to beat me, that’s your greatest attribute. You must attack with me. I can probably beat you. Maybe I can’t hold you to the ground forever, but I can hold you there for a little while. And the longer the fight goes on, the worse the situation will become.”
Chimaev has won six of his eight fights in the UFC, with his only wins coming against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. The undefeated title contender is fresh off a first-round submission victory over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October of this year. There have been some concerns about Chimaev’s health since joining the UFC, but the 30-year-old has made significant changes to his training and looked better than ever in his last fight.
