Bo Nickal has a message for dominant Dagestani wrestlers in the UFC
MMA prospect Bo Nickal has sent out a stern warning to Dagestani wrestlers in the UFC, stating that his wrestling ability is far superior.
Nickal is a former freestyle and graduate folkstyle wrestler. The 26-year-old was a finalist for the 2020 US men's Olympic wrestling team and is a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion.
Nickal made the switch to MMA earlier this year when he competed in Jorge Masvidal's promotion iKON FC. After a first-round KO victory, Nickal quickly made his way to Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS). The American continued his fine form in the cage, winning his next two fights via first-round submission. He received his UFC contract soon after.
Nickal made waves during his time in DWCS and has made multiple callouts to welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechen-born fighter is known for his Russian wrestling style and pressure, but Nickal is confident that he has the skills to neutralize it.
On the latest episode of Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, 'The Allen Assassin' said:
"Those guys [Dagestani wrestlers] think they know how to wrestle? We'll show them what real wreslting is. I have a ton of respect for any guy that steps in the octagon, any guy that's willing to do that. Those guys are at the top of the sport right now. I 100% don't mean it in a disrespectful way, but we think we're better."
Catch Bo Nickal on Michael Bisping's podcast here:
Mateusz Gamrot describes training with Bo Nickal
UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot recently trained alongside Bo Nickal for his UFC 280 bout against Beneil Dariush. Although Gamrot came up short, he still demonstrated a high level of wrestling that has clearly been worked on with Nickal.
The 31-year-old spent much of his camp at the American Top Team (ATT) gym and got to work first-hand with one of the fastest rising talents in the organization. According to 'Gamer', Bo Nickal is a "beast" and fans should keep an eye on him:
"Sometimes we meet in American Top Team (ATT), we train together. He's wrestler, I'm wrestler too and we have the same vibes. I'm really excited because he's a real monster, he's a real beast that he showed two times in the Dana White's Contender [Series]."
Catch Mateusz Gamrot's interview here:
Also check out Sportskeeda MMA's exclusive interview with Mateusz Gamrot below: