Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling skills doesn’t impress Bo Nickal all that much.
Khamzat Chimaev has a remarkable streak of six victories within the Octagon. But amidst the praise and admiration, there is one voice that dares to dissent. Three-time NCAA Division I national champion Bo Nickal asserts that Chimaev’s wrestling prowess may not be as exceptional as it appears.
Nickal boldly declared during his interview with Clash of Combat: “It’s trash. I wouldn’t even say mid-(level).”
Nickal himself is undefeated in the world of mixed martial arts, and has taken an active stance against Chimaev. With repeated call-outs, he has set the stage for an inevitable clash between the two competitors.
Nickal stated: “At the end of the day, I feel like I can say whatever about his wrestling skills, his fighting skills, this and that, we’re going to fight at some point and people will realize there’s levels. It’s just so funny, you go into a world of MMA where there’s no other sport where people know less and think they know more.”
Chimaev is scheduled to face former UFC title contender Paulo Costa on October 21 in what will be his first outing inside the Octagon in over a year. Bo Nickal predicts Chimaev will prevail in their high-profile match in Abu Dhabi, but thinks the unbeaten Chechen combatant may have a harder time transitioning to middleweight than first anticipated.
Nickal stated: “I think it’s going to be a good fight. Probably – I think he probably will. It’s definitely a different ball game when you go from 170 to 185. We’re talking about a different size human being.”
Bo Nickal also said that Chimaev’s ability to weigh 170 pounds is a dead giveaway that he would not fare well against Nickal, a substantial middleweight. Nickal is eager to see Chimaev’s performance at UFC 294 this autumn against the fearsome Paulo Costa.
Nickal went on to say: “We’ll see how he does. He’s obviously a big ’70, but it’s a different size human, and to me, anybody who can make 170, none of those dudes are going to be competitive with me. Costa is a different story, I’m going to watch the fight, so we’ll see how he does.”