NEW YORK – Bo Nickal isn’t afraid to get down to earth with jiu-jitsu specialist Paul Craig. Absolutely.
Nickal, a UFC middleweight prospect and decorated collegiate wrestler, responded to Craig’s claims that he is vastly superior to him in the jiu-jitsu department by warning Craig against underestimating that part of his game ahead of the main card bout at UFC 309 on Saturday in Madison Square. garden.
“The guys I train with and work with in jiu-jitsu, they’re not good at jiu-jitsu in MMA, they’re the best guys in the world at jiu-jitsu,” Nickal said. “I think he’d be surprised at how good submission grappling is in general. I mean, the first grappling match I ever had was against Gordon Ryan, who’s one of the No. 1 (grappling) fighters in the world, and he couldn’t submit me for 13 minutes, and that was with three training sessions in “That sport, so I think he’ll be surprised that I wrestle.”
Nickal (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who many believe is destined to become a UFC champion, sees Craig (17-8-1 MMA, 9-8-1 UFC) as the right step in his career. He said he called for a fight, but it was not personal. Nikal thinks this match makes sense for him.
“It’s just a step up in competition,” Nickal said. “For me, who I fight doesn’t matter as much as how I grow and get better in the sport. He’s a guy with a lot of experience. He’s a guy who poses a lot of risks and interesting problems to solve, so this makes sense for my career and where I’m at.”
“It’s not personal at all. It’s just another step in the direction I’m headed. I’m excited about it. This is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. I think everyone would agree with that.”
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