Surging middleweight contender Bo Nickal is disappointed at not having got the opportunity to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
After ‘Borz’s’ original opponent Paulo Costa was forced out of the contest owing to a staph infection in his elbow, former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman was roped in to fill the spot.
The former collegiate wrestling superstar believes the premier promotion snubbed him for Usman to protect ‘Borz’.
Nickal has barely broken a sweat in his MMA career. After earning his ticket to the big leagues with flawless exploits in Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) 2022, he has continued his stellar form in his UFC career.
The 27-year-old is 2-0 in the premier promotion, with both the wins coming via first-round finishes. Many believe the American to give Chimaev a run for his money down the line.
During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Nickal explained his rationale on why he thinks he never got the phone call to face ‘Borz’, saying:
“I was disappointed they didn’t ask me to step in there. I was expecting at least an ask like, ‘Hey, you want to do this?’ But, no. Just nothing. Nothing from the UFC. It is what it is. I’m guessing they didn’t want me to roll over into Abu Dhabi on 10 days’ notice and smash their boy in front of his home crowd or something… They didn’t even ask, it wasn’t even an option really…we’ll do it another time.”
Catch Nickal’s comments below (4:17):
“Won’t even say mid”: Bo Nickal claims Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling is “trash”
Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal are undoubtedly two of the most skilled grapplers in the UFC. Chimaev is a three-time Swedish national champion, while Nickal is one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers the United States has ever produced.
Regardless, the Penn State alum believes ‘Borz’ is nowhere near his caliber when it comes to wrestling. During a segment of Clash of Combat he said:
” [Chimaev’s] wrestling is trash, I won’t even say mid… We are going to fight at some point, and people will realize that there’s levels. It’s just so funny; you go into this world of MMA where… there’s no other sport where people know less and think they know more.”
Catch Bo Nickal’s comments below (21:30):