"The shoe is now on the other foot" - Bo Nickal should pursue Khamzat Chimaev fight "full steam, with both barrels", says Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen has encouraged Bo Nickal to go in hot pursuit of Khamzat Chimaev.
Nickal, a highly-touted MMA prospect, was recently signed by the UFC after two dominant wins in Dana White's Contender Series.
The three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion wasted no time calling his shot by announcing which fighter he wanted to face in his octagon debut – top welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev.
The UFC president wasn't on board with Nickal's idea, telling him, "Let's not get crazy here." However, Sonnen thinks that shouldn't stop Nickal from trying to go after 'Borz.' During an episode of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen argued:
"What should Bo [Nickal] be doing? Bo should be full steam, with both barrels, coming after [Khamzat] Chimaev. Not maybe, not somebody else, not a title fight. 'Let me see what happens. Let me get along with the boys I know here.' Full steam over on Chimaev."
Sonnen also pointed out that Nickal is now in the same position as Chimaev once was.
"Nobody was calling out Chimaev, until Bo did it last night," he added. "And Bo should not let up. And the shoe is now on the other foot... Now he [Chimaev] has a choice to make: 'Do I do the same thing to Bo that everyone just did to me?'"
Check out Chael Sonnen's take on Bo Nickal's pursuit of Khamzat Chimaev:
Nickal came into the recent season of DWCS with a ton of hype due to his impressive collegiate wrestling resume. But as far as MMA goes, the 26-year-old is relatively inexperienced. The Pennsylvania native only has three professional bouts under his belt, though he finished all of them inside the first round.
On the flip side, Chimaev has recently turned into one of the hottest commodities in MMA. The Chechen-born Swede claimed the No.3 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings after emerging victorious over Gilbert Burns.
Bo Nickal explains why he called out Khamzat Chimaev
Fans and media members were unsure whether Bo Nickal meant what he said about fighting Khamzat Chimaev.
So when the DWCS press conference rolled around, reporters asked Nickal if he was serious about the bold callout. In response, the promising fighter stood by his word and explained why he likes his chances against Chimaev:
"I don’t know what you’re talking about as far as kidding. I feel like that’s a good matchup for me. He’s obviously a high-level grappler, high-level fighter. He’s one of the top fighters not only in his division, but in the UFC. I have a lot of respect for his skills but I also know what I’m about."
Watch Bo Nickal's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below: