“Bo Nickal will f*ck him up,” Ex-champion previews a potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and undefeated UFC 300 star

TJ Dillashaw praised the performance of Bo Nickal at UFC 300 despite many fans and analysts disliking it.

“Bo Nickal will f*ck him up,” Ex-champion previews a potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and undefeated UFC 300 star

TJ Dillashaw previews Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal (Image via: IMAGO)

Bo Nickal ran through his opposition for the most part in MMA. However, that was not the case in his third fight against Cody Brundage at UFC 300. Even though Nickal defeated Brundage in the second round, many criticized his performance. Khamzat Chimaev, the undefeated UFC superstar, was Nickal’s most prominent critic.

Former UFC champions TJ Dillashaw and Quinton Rampage Jackson recently gave their thoughts about UFC 300. Unlike Khamzat Chimaev, Bo Nickal’s performance impressed Dillashaw. Moreover, Dillashaw was very critical of Chimaev’s criticism of Nickal. Furthermore, he predicted what would happen if Chimaev’s MMA-style wrestling clashed with Nickal’s college-style wrestling. 

If Khamzat [Chimaev] tries to wrestle with Bo Nickal, Bo Nickal will mess him up. Bo Nickal, yeah, maybe he's a little bit green on his striking and, you know, there's always a possibility he could get caught, but I think Bo Nickal would mess him up just on wrestling and cardio alone.
TJ Dillashaw via the Jaxxon podcast
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Dillashaw and Nickal have the same strength and conditioning coach, Sam Calavitta. Therefore, Dillashaw is confident of Nickal’s cardio, which is expected of a student of Calavitta. On the other hand, Dillashaw was very critical of Chimaev, who showed a deficiency in cardio in his last fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

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Nonetheless, Dillashaw did not believe there was an overhype on Chimaev. He applauded the strength of the Chechen but wished he was active. Nevertheless, Dillashaw did not think Chimaev had a competitive edge over Nickal. Chimaev’s upcoming fight is against Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia, in a number one contender fight at middleweight. If Chimaev and Nickal keep winning, they could soon be in a title fight between undefeated fighters.

The Bo Nickal – Khamzat Chimaev beef

According to Jon Anik, Bo Nickal brought the same hype and excitement that Khamzat Chimaev brought. It is somewhat true, as they have an almost identical record in their first three fights. The two have a contentious relationship. Nickal has always stated he would defeat Chimaev in a potential matchup. He even wanted to step in on short notice against Chimaev at UFC 294.

Bo Nickal believes Khamzat Chimaev would be champion
Bo Nickal believes Khamzat Chimaev would become the champion (via Imago)

However, Chimaev was dismissive of Nickal as he felt his young adversary had not fully developed. On the other hand, Nickal has showered respect on Chimaev numerous times. He had even predicted UFC title glory for the Chechen at middleweight. Furthermore, he has already manifested a fight with a Chechen fighter at the Allegiant stadium.

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However, their initial cordial relationship turned sour after Chimaev criticized Nickal’s performance at UFC 300. In response, Nickal pointed out Chimaev’s decision wins against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, whereas he finished every opponent. Moreover, he even boasted of being a huge favorite if they matched up. Chimaev has not responded yet, but he will, and the interaction will potentially set up a heated fight in the future, delighting fight fans.

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