This weekend, undefeated American middleweight Bo Nickal returns to the octagon on the main card of UFC 309 against Scottish submission specialist, Paul Craig.
If the popular 6-0 middleweight raises his hand on Saturday night, he will be one step closer to what he described as an “inevitable” showdown with fellow unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev.
Photo by Cooper Neal/Zova LLC via Getty Images Bo Nikal talks about his “rivalry” with fellow undefeated UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev
Throughout his tenure in the UFC, Bo Nickal has not only remained vocal about his admiration for Chimaev and his insane skills but also his desire to one day test himself against the undefeated “Borz.”
Speaking with Brett Okamoto ahead of his return at UFC 309, Nikal first celebrated Chimaev’s latest performance against Robert Whittaker – a dominant first-round win in which he broke part of the Australian’s jaw.
“First off, his fight against Whittaker was really impressive. To see someone do that to a veteran, a guy who’s been a champion and defended his belt, that’s an unbelievable accomplishment.”
“When I watched the fight, I was very impressed and every time I fight, we get closer [to that being put together] … He’s obviously way ahead of me, and I’m just looking to catch up with him, and it seems, like I said, that’s inevitable.
While Nickal is currently unranked in the middleweight division, the path to a potential undefeated vs. undefeated showdown is a simple one: “As long as I keep winning and he keeps winning, we’ll make it work.
“I hope he does [stay undefeated]I was rooting for him to beat Whittaker, and his performance was amazing… I also loved the build-up, when I heard his interviews and his behavior, it seemed different. I think we’re a lot more similar than I originally thought.
Nikal remains confident he can secure that fight without having to disrespect the 14-0 phenom, though he later stated that he considers Chimaev his biggest rival in the UFC.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for him and I’ve never felt it was disrespectful to call him up. I think he’s the best, so this is the guy I want to fight… It would be great; we can’t really pick our opponents but it would be great.”
“Again, like I said, he’s not out of the negative space, he’s out of the positive space because I respect him so much. I think his skills are amazing… I just want to be the best, so whoever is the best, he’s the guy I have to beat.
Nickal returns at UFC 309 against Scottish submission specialist Paul Craig
Bo Nickal is currently 6-0 as a pro and 3-0 under the UFC banner, although his toughest test yet will come at UFC 309 when he faces Paul Craig in the featured bout of the evening.
Craig is 1-4 in his last five fights but remains one of the most dangerous fighters on the entire UFC roster; While lesser fighters may be cautious about engaging on the ground, Nickal is ready to steal victory wherever the fight ends up.
“I’m definitely not afraid of it,” said Nickal, who revealed that he is actually 0-1 at Madison Square Garden, having finished second at the NCAA Championships in Mecca in 2016.
“For me, I’m coming into this fight very openly. I feel like I don’t want to lock myself into the idea of ’this is how I should win’ and the perception is important but the way I see it, it almost comes at you – it’s not something You expose him.
“With this fight, I feel like I’ll be confident and comfortable wherever I go… I have a good game plan and a good structure, but it’s a loose structure – I have room to be creative and improvise.”
Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig headlines the co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, with heavyweight kingpins Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic headlining the night.
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