SUMMARY
- Joe Rogan recently opened up about what he thinks of Bo Nickal.
- Bo Nickal eagerly anticipates a potential clash with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in the middleweight division.
Bo Nickal, an accomplished American mixed martial artist, formerly excelled in freestyle and graduated from folkstyle wrestling. He currently competes in the middleweight division of the UFC. With a UFC record of 5-0-0, he is one of the most exciting prospects in the promotion. The famous American podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently opened up about what he thinks of Bo Nickal.
In the JRE MMA Show episode #152, featuring the American UFC welterweight, Sean Brady talked about Bo Nickal with Joe Rogan. Brady noted that grapplers tend to dominate the 170-lbs and 155-lbs divisions in the UFC, and the 185-lbs division lacks that dominance.
He suggested that if a fighter enters the 185-lb category with a strong background in wrestling and grappling, they have the potential to perform exceptionally well.
Rogan then concurred by taking Bo Nickal’s example: “Well, it’s interesting with Bo. It’s like some fighters get thrown to the wolves and some fighters, they lead. Every fight he’s the giant favorite and the next fight same thing”. Sean Brady agreed, stating that Bo is taking the correct approach. According to him, at the age of 27-28, being in the UFC and a few fights away from the Top 15, it is wise not to rush.
Brady emphasized the importance of accumulating wins by facing skilled but non-world-class opponents to gain valuable experience before entering the Top 15. Bo Nickal has had five MMA fights in his career. Out of which he has won four in the first round of the fight. More impressively, three out of those five wins have come under a minute.
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This puts Bo Nickal’s in-ring time in his professional MMA career at less than 7 minutes. Hence, it’s nothing surprising that Bo is still fighting ‘cans’. He still has to win around 2-3 fights before he breaks into the top 15 UFC fighters. Bo is scheduled to face Cody Brundage on April 13, 2024. A strong showing at the marquee event, i.e., UFC 300, could push Bo’s case in the middleweight division.
Bo Nickal certainly has the wrestling pedigree Sean Brady and Joe Rogan was talking about. It remains to be seen how far Bo’s hype train will go before derailing. Fans would hope that doesn’t happen shortly.
Bo Nickal thinks Khamzat Chimaev is an opponent he can defeat
Bo Nickal eagerly anticipates a potential clash with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in the middleweight division. Sharing a background in wrestling and grappling, Nickal, a three-time NCAA champion from Penn State, sees an inevitable showdown with ‘Borz’ now that he competes at 185 pounds. Reflecting on Chimaev’s recent victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, Nickal found the matchup intriguing.
He noted the volatility of both fighters, moving up from 170 lbs to 185 lbs. While Khamzat Chimaev showcased a dominant first round, Nickal observed a gradual slowdown in pace for both fighters as the rounds progressed. Known for his fast starts and eight first-round finishes in his 13-0 career, Chimaev’s performance against Kamaru Usman revealed both strengths and vulnerabilities.
Nickal sees every fight involving potential opponents as a valuable learning experience, aiming to incorporate insights into his training for future matchups. Despite Chimaev’s reputation as the middleweight boogeyman, Nickal believes in his own skills, stating, “I believe in myself, and I think my skills match up very well against him. I feel like that’s a fight that I win”.
With only five fights on his MMA resume, Nickal acknowledges his relative inexperience but confidently asserts his wrestling ability as a significant X factor. He emphasizes the need for opponents to prepare differently for him, viewing it as a clear path to the belt.
Despite an upcoming bout against Cody Brundage at UFC 300 in April, Nickal remains focused on his ultimate goal of becoming a UFC Champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. His motivation extends to defending the belt 10 times. He sees this as a foreseeable future, despite his current fight preparations.
Do you see Bo Nickal fulfilling his career aspirations in the future? Will Nickal ever become the UFC Middleweight Champion? Let us know in the comments below.