Undefeated UFC middleweight Bo Nickal believes a fight with fellow rising star Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov would be a lopsided proposition.
Nickal will face dangerous grappler Paul Craig at UFC 309 in New York City later this month. He returns to the Octagon after defeating Cody Brundage in his most recent fight at UFC 300.
Nickal, a former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler, targeted a potential showdown with Magomedov after the latter’s win at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Magomedov has since defeated Armen Petrosyan, knocking him out with a double spinning back fist at UFC 308.
Despite Magomedov’s ‘Knockout of the Year’ contender, Nickal thinks he’d make quick work of Magomedov inside the Octagon.
Bo Nickal dismisses the difficulty of a clash with Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov
In a recent episode of his podcast, Nickal ramped up his Magomedov callouts with a hot take.
“I would like to fight him, but it’s not a tough fight, and I’d have to go to Abu Dhabi,” Nickal said of Magomedov. “I’d do it, but I think it’s not a tough fight, and also, the UFC probably doesn’t want that right now. Maybe they would, maybe they don’t give a crap. Go over to Saudi [Arabia], make a quick check, 90 seconds, fly back.”
Nickal and Magomedov are two of the brightest young stars in the UFC middleweight division. Both made their promotional debuts last year after regional MMA success.
Nickal vs. Magomedov would be a prototypical grappler vs. striker matchup. While Nickal has improved his striking in lightning-quick fashion, he would face a huge step up in Magomedov.
As of this writing, Magomedov hasn’t responded to Nickal’s comments. He’s targeting a return at the UFC’s upcoming event on February 1st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Nickal and Magomedov could be on an inevitable collision course, and Nickal has the opportunity to back up his confidence with another profound performance.