Bo Nickal Eyes Khamzat Chimaev Showdown After UFC 309, Acknowledges ‘Catching Up’ Needed

Undefeated American middleweight Bo Nickal is set to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon at UFC 309, where he will face Scottish submission specialist Paul Craig on the main card. Despite his immediate focus on Craig, Nickal has been vocal about his long-term goal of facing fellow undefeated phenom Khamzat Chimaev.

Nickal, who is currently 6-0 as a professional and 3-0 under the UFC banner, has expressed significant admiration for Chimaev’s skills and recent performances. He praised Chimaev’s dominant first-round submission win against Robert Whittaker, highlighting the impressive feat of breaking part of Whittaker’s jaw during the fight. Nickal acknowledged that Chimaev is ahead of him in terms of experience and achievements, stating, “He’s obviously quite a way ahead of me, I’m just looking to catch up and it seems like, as you said, that’s kind of an inevitable thing”.

The potential showdown between Nickal and Chimaev is seen as an inevitable and highly anticipated matchup in the UFC middleweight division. Nickal emphasized that his desire to fight Chimaev comes from a place of respect and a drive to be the best, rather than any negative sentiment. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him, I never felt like calling him out was a disrespectful thing, I think he’s the best so that’s the guy I want to fight,” Nickal said.

In the immediate future, Nickal is preparing for what could be his toughest test to date against Paul Craig. Craig, known for his dangerous grappling skills, presents a significant challenge, but Nickal remains confident and open to the fight’s outcome. “I’m definitely not afraid of it,” Nickal stated, highlighting his readiness to engage in any aspect of the fight.

The UFC 309 event, which includes Nickal vs. Craig, will also feature a co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, and will be headlined by the heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.