"The hype is real" - Beneil Dariush confident Bo Nickal can beat Khamzat Chimaev in "a year or two"
Beneil Dariush is convinced that rising UFC prospect Bo Nickal will defeat welterweight boogeyman Khamzat Chimaev "in a year or two."
Nickal, who was recently signed by the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series, made it known that he has his sights set on a potential matchup against Chimaev this early in his career.
Watch Khamzat Chimaev get called out:
Bo Nickal knows he's "probably not" going to get Khamzat Chimaev next, but says their fight is inevitable. 👀
Full interview: bit.ly/3CdoOhq https://t.co/UkXvzi1Gx4
However, Dariush thinks Chimaev still has an advantage over Nickal should they fight in the near future. However, if Nickal is given a couple of years to develop, it will be a completely different story.
Comparing the two hype machines during an interview with The Schmo, the Assyrian-American fighter said:
"Grappling, I think you'd have to go with Bo Nickal. He's a better grappler. But the thing is, with Khamzat, I think he's got more power. And don't get me wrong, I've seen Bo [Nickal] knock people out too... Experience too, I think Khamzat has more experience, he's been in the MMA game longer."
The way Dariush sees it, Nickal is poised to improve tremendously after a few fights in the UFC. With that in mind, Dariush added:
"So if they were to fight at this moment, I would say Khamzat. If you give it a year or two, I think I would say Bo Nickal because you have to understand, a guy like Bo Nickal, he's gonna have great growth. So I would lean towards him... The hype is real for both."
Catch Beneil Dariush's interview below:
Beneil Dariush breaks down potential Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal matchup
Beneil Dariush broke down how he believes a hypothetical matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal will unfold.
Chimaev and Nickal are regarded as two of the best wrestlers in the welterweight division, with massive potential to improve for the latter. Due to his wrestling chops, Chimaev has absorbed the least amount of significant strikes in the division. Meanwhile, Nickal's pedigree as a former NCAA Division I wrestler has also translated into pure dominance in his first three professional MMA bouts.
With that taken into consideration, Dariush believes the two will cancel each other's grappling game. As far as Dariush is concerned, whoever can improve on their striking will emerge victorious. The No.5-ranked UFC lightweight added:
"So it's really gonna be who's gonna develop that second part of their game – who's gonna develop striking faster and go further with it. Because if they end up fighting each other. A lot of it will be stand-up."