Chael Sonnen calls top UFC fighters "fake tough guys," suggests they'll avoid facing Bo Nickal
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has labeled many of those in the UFC locker room as "fake tough guys" following the rise of Dana White's Contender Series star Bo Nickal.
'The Allen Assassin' made his MMA debut for Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC in June earlier this year. His 33-second first-round KO victory was deemed enough to warrant an opportunity on DWCS.
Bo Nickal's first competed on the talent-finding series last month when he faced Zachary Borrego. Nickal won yet again in the first round, submitting him via rear-naked choke.
Nickal was not offered a UFC contract despite winning the bout and was instead offered a second fight, which came against Donovan Beard. The American won again in the first-round and made waves by calling out UFC star Khamzat Chimaev following his win.
Would pay top dollar to see Bo Nickal vs. Khamzat Chimaev 🔥🔥 https://t.co/wmfnt9gi2O
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen suggested that Nickal is ready to debut against top opposition. However, he suggested that most will find an excuse to avoid the wrestling standout:
"Right now, at 185lbs, on December 10. I imagine that's not enough time for some of you fake tough guys, but for a couple of you that would like to get a pay check by the end of the year, would you like to do it on television? What difference does it make who your opponent is? ... As much as I want to sit here and say Bo deserves a tough fight, we can't get the tough guys to fight. They'll find a reason not to."
Catch the full video here:
Bo Nickal says Khamzat Chimaev is a "good matchup" for him
Bo Nickal's recent performances on DWCS have understandably drawn comparisons with the dominant Khamzat Chimaev. Nickal didn't absorb a single signifcant strike in each of his two fights in front of White, which is similar to Chimaev's early run in the welterweight division.
After Nickal's most recent victory this week, the American called out the Chechen-born Swede. While most considered the callout as just a way of generating heat, 'The Allen Assassin' confirmed to UFC press that he was very serious in regards to fighting Chimaev.
"I don't know what you are talking about as far as kidding, but you know, I feel like that's a good matchup for me. He's obviously a high level grappler, high-level fighter. You know, he's one of the top fighters not only in his division but in the UFC, so I have a lot of respect for his skills. But I also know what I'm about."
Bo Nickal added:
"He's got skills and he does a lot of things really well. That being said, ask anybody who knows anything about wrestling, who watches the sport and studies it, then puts time into it - I'm one of the best wrestlers in the world."
Catch Nickal's comments here:
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