"I wouldn't make Bo Nickal fight Phil Hawes"- Daniel Cormier talks about Phil Hawes calling out the hottest prospect in the UFC Bo Nickal and breaks down a fight between the two
Daniel Cormier has addressed Phil Hawes' call-out of Bo Nickal and suggested that the latter shouldn't be booked to fight Hawes right now.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Cormier lauded Nickal for being one of the hottest prospects ever in the sport of MMA.
Nevertheless, 'DC' alluded to the fact that the 26-year-old Nickal (3-0 MMA) is still relatively inexperienced in the MMA realm. The UFC Hall of Famer suggested that at this point in their respective careers, the 33-year-old Hawes (12-3 MMA) might be able to get the better of Nickal. This is despite the latter's unparalleled wrestling prowess.
Cormier indicated that while Nickal is a highly-accomplished amateur wrestler with a boxing background, Hawes is a Division 1 wrestler and a skilled fighter in his own right.
Additionally, he insinuated that Hawes possesses tremendous striking skills and knows how to utilize them in the MMA dominion. Opining that Nickal shouldn't be matched up with Hawes anytime soon, Cormier stated:
"In this fight, in this matchup, I am telling you guys that the reason Phil Hawes is calling for it is because he has the ability to at least compete in that world with Bo Nickal, while also knowing that he has the experience to do what he needs to do on his feet. I wouldn't make the fight. I wouldn't make Bo Nickal fight Phil Hawes."
Daniel Cormier noted that irrespective of how dominantly 'The Allen Assassin' wins his upcoming fight, he doesn't want to see the rising star fight Hawes in the immediate future. Pointing out that Nickal could clash with Hawes someday, Cormier said:
"Bo Nickal may be the most high-level prospect we've ever seen in mixed martial arts. He's like one of those guys that [such as basketball greats] LeBron [James], Zion [Williamson], guys that jump off the page. Why chance it with a guy like Phil Hawes right now? Let's make that down the line."
Watch Cormier discuss the topic at 14:33 in the video below:
Is a Bo Nickal vs. Phil Hawes fight on the horizon?
Bo Nickal is scheduled to fight Jamie Pickett in a middleweight bout at UFC 282 on December 10th. Meanwhile, Phil Hawes is set to face fellow middleweight Roman Dolidze at the UFC Fight Night event on October 29th. Considering that, a possible Nickal-Hawes matchup materializing this year seems unlikely.
Well. That didn’t take long. Less than two days removed from Contender Series, Bo Nickal has his UFC debut. Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett at UFC 282 on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, per the UFC. https://t.co/je4qRbMO85
The consensus is that the UFC will probably refrain from having a top-tier prospect like Nickal take on someone as experienced and dangerous as Hawes this early in his career. That said, Nickal continuing his dominance might result in him fighting elite opponents in the UFC sooner rather than later.
Roman Dolidze will fight Phil Hawes at UFC event on October 29th. (first rep. @iHeartGeorgius1) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN https://t.co/bBIBulwq38