Former UFC champion gives honest take on the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal debate: "Wrestler's mindset to a fighter"
Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal are both unbeaten UFC middleweights, although on opposite ends of the rankings, and are known for their wrestling prowess. A former UFC champion has now compared the two fighters.
Chimaev started wrestling at the age of five in Chechnya and went on to become a three-time Swedish national champion in freestyle wrestling after moving to the Scandinavian country. His MMA record stands at 14-0, with six submissions, and he's considered one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division, evidenced by his quick finish of Robert Whittaker in his last outing.
Meanwhile, Nickal is a three-time NCAA Division I national champion and a three-time Big Ten Conference champion, holding one of the most impressive collegiate records. The Pennsylvania State University alum has since transitioned to MMA, amassing a 7-0 record with four submissions.
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture weighed in on the two 185-pounders in an interview with MMA coach Tim Welch. 'The Natural' said:
"I think Khamzat has a little more experience in the MMA realm right now. Bo is impressive, an amazing competitor on the wrestling mat but I think he is still making a transition and I was happy to see him get a little more ring time in this last fight."
Couture added:
"I think at some point he is going to be a champ. There is no doubt in my mind. I think it might be a little too early to match him up with Khamzat because I think Khamzat has been here a while longer, has made the transition fully from that wrestler mindset to being a fighter."
Check out Randy Couture's comments below (42:30):
Bo Nickal is “super impressed” with Khamzat Chimaev's last performance
Bo Nickal gave his take on Khamzat Chimaev's latest outing, describing the unbeaten Chechen-born phenom as "exceptional." At UFC 308, 'Borz' submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the very first round, further boosting his championship aspirations.
Reacting to the bout in an interview with Submission Radio, Nickal said:
"I've been super impressed with him [Khamzat Chimaev] I think since the very first time I watched him fight which was his first fight in the UFC over COVID in Abu Dhabi that I thought that this guy's exceptional. That's not any different than what anybody else has thought."
Check out Bo Nickal's comments below (10:20):