Aljamain Sterling confident that Bo Nickal will “pleasantly surprise” people against Khamzat Chimaev should they meet in the UFC
Khamzat Chimaev is viewed by many as the best wrestler in the UFC's middleweight division. But Bo Nickal, a relatively new addition at 185 pounds, has been pipped as the man to provide Chimaev with all sorts of problems when it comes to grappling.
Nickal is a former 3x NCAA Div. I wrestling champion, and made his UFC debut with a professional MMA record of just 3-0. The American has gone 4-0 since entering the octagon, with three finishes.
With Nickal's grappling regarded so highly, a clash between himself and 'Borz' has been earmarked as a potential super-fight. Former bantamweight champion and elite wrestler Aljamain Sterling recently shared his thoughts on a potential Chimaev-Nickal clash during an interview with Home of Fight.
He said this:
"Bo Nickal is a very similar dude [to me], he might not have the striking to back [the wrestling] up. But if you grapple with this guy he will put you in some very bad situations. I am hopeful that one day when get to see him versus Khamzat. I'm not saying that he beats Khamzat. But I do think in the grappling situations people are going to be pleasantly surprised because he's really that good."
Watch Aljamain Sterling discuss Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal below (13:00):
Chael Sonnen calls for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal
Khamzat Chimaev is on the cusp of a coveted UFC title shot and will likely face the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland, scheduled to take place at UFC 312. Meanwhile, Bo Nickal is at the other end of his career and recently defeated his toughest matchup to date, Paul Craig, a previously ranked contender.
Despite the contrast between the two middleweights' positions, Chael Sonnen recently called for a clash between them by pointing to UFC debutant Kai Asakura receiving a title shot in his debut.
Sonnen was recently interviewed by Helen Yee, where he said this:
"Fighters corrupted the ranking system by using ways to b*tch out of having to fight somebody else, 'Well, he's not ranked high. It doesn't make sense.' You don't know what makes sense... I want to see Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal, but we don't get to see it because Bo is not ranked and Chimaev is ranked... Asakura is not ranked at all. I don't want to hear all the reasons why... We're taking an unranked guy and putting him in a title fight... Rankings no longer matter."
Watch Chael Sonnen discuss Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal below (8:55):