Daniel Cormier reacts to Bo Nickal calling out Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira before his UFC debut
MMA legend Daniel Cormier has addressed Bo Nickal's call-outs of former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and reigning UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira.
Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal hasn't made his UFC debut yet. Nevertheless, speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Nickal recently suggested that he's aiming to fight Adesanya and Pereira soon and feels he can beat them.
In the latest edition of the 3 Rounds with Daniel Cormier podcast, 'DC' pointed out that Nickal indicated that kickboxing veterans Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are exceptional MMA strikers. Cormier added, however, that Nickal criticized Adesanya and Pereira's grappling skills.
Nickal did acknowledge that Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira probably feel the same about his (Nickal's) striking skills. Regardless, he insinuated that he'd dominate and defeat Adesanya and Pereira if he got a hold of them in potential MMA bouts. Referencing Nickal's statements, Cormier stated:
"'I just feel like if I grabbed a hold of either of those guys, it would not go well for them. And I think everybody knows that.' So, that's not something that's a shocking statement, or that's outlandish, at least in my opinion. Well, that's the thing about opinions, right? We all have them. They don't make them right; they really don't. Bo Nickal has strong opinions."
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will run it back at UFC 287 🔁🏆 https://t.co/zGDCFtUuKF
Daniel Cormier explained that Bo Nickal's confidence is understandable, what with his impressive accomplishments as a wrestler and his boxing experience since his youth. Regardless, he warned that Nickal mustn't underestimate the dangers of facing elite strikers who possess good takedown defense. Cormier, who's himself a former Olympic wrestler, further explained:
"I'm gonna tell you one thing as a wrestler -- You come in there with extreme confidence. But the scariest thing in the world, or the most uncomfortable thing in the world, is being in the octagon with an opponent that can defend takedowns and they're much better strikers."
Watch Cormier's assessment at 10:25 in the video below:
Bo Nickal aims to make a statement in his UFC main roster debut
Bo Nickal made his professional MMA debut in June 2022 and has amassed a record of 3 wins and 0 defeats thus far. The 27-year-old wrestling savant competed in a couple of DWCS (Dana White's Contender Series) events last year but is yet to make his UFC main roster debut.
Speaking of which, Nickal's debut matchup is scheduled to transpire at UFC 285 on March 4. 'The Allen Assassin' will face 34-year-old Jamie Pickett in a middleweight matchup at UFC 285. The consensus is that a dominant victory in his maiden UFC fight could lead to the UFC continuing their promotional push for Nickal, whereas a loss could severely dent the top-tier prospect's momentum.
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Bo Nickal will fight Jamie Pickett at #UFC285 on March 4th. (first rep. The @mma_kings 👑) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 https://t.co/RL9L7Ax50N