Joe Rogan and ex-heavyweight star discuss Bo Nickal being ‘LeBron James of MMA’ 

Bo Nickal is being compared to LeBron James in terms of his immediate popularity in the UFC.

Joe Rogan and ex-heavyweight star discuss Bo Nickal being ‘LeBron James of MMA’ 

Joe Rogan analyzes Bo Nickal being the LeBron James of MMA (via Imago)

Bo Nickal is undoubtedly one of the biggest rising talents on the UFC roster. Despite his limited time in the promotion, Nickal has established a cult following due to his background in wrestling. According to Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub, the three-time NCAA Division I national champion might be the LeBron James of MMA. 

Joe Rogan recently sat down with Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen, discussing the rise of Bo Nickal in the UFC. During the conversation, Schaub compared Nickal with NBA superstar LeBron James. According to the former UFC heavyweight, Nickal has had a fan following since he was a kid and has the same amount of clout as James had when he was starting his career.

This is why you make comparisons with a guy like LeBron. Cause he's (Bo Nickal) in wrestling since he was seven. He was selling out f**** huge auditoriums wrestling, dominating.
Brendan Schaub via JRE Fight Companion – June 22, 2024
YouTube video

However, Joe Rogan seemed to misunderstand Schaub’s point and had a contradictory opinion. Rogan compared James’ achievements with the decorative career of Jon Jones. According to Rogan, Jones is the LeBron James of MMA.

FS Video
The difference is LeBron has been dominant and famous on a world championship level for so long. Jon Jones is more like the LeBron of MMA.
Joe Rogan via JRE Fight Companion – June 22, 2024

After hearing it again, though, Rogan was unsure about the parallel, even though he understood what was said. Regardless of the case, there is no denying the excitement surrounding Bo Nickal, and the fighter also benefits from the promotion.

He could even appear on the main card of UFC 300, ahead of champions like Aljamain Sterling and Jiri Prochazka. Despite the immense pressure on the wrestling prodigy, Bo Nickal is prepared for his upcoming UFC test.

Bo Nickal calls out Dagestani fighter Sharaputdin Magomedov for his next outing 

Bo Nickal has always been vocal about his wrestling prowess and has promised to stop the Dagestani domination in the UFC. The fighter has taken jibes at the former Dagestani champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Similarly, he has also called the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev as a better-than-average wrestler.

Bo Nickal calls out Sharaputdin Magomedov after UFC Saudi Arabia
Bo Nickal calls out Sharaputdin Magomedov after UFC Saudi Arabia (via X/Imago)

With all the animosity, it wasn’t surprising for fans to see him calling out the undefeated Dagestani Sharaputdin ‘Bullet’ Magomedov. The one-eyed Russian recently extended his winning tally by defeating Antonio Trocoli at UFC Saudi Arabia. Immediately after the fight, Bo Nickal went to X and announced his demands.

Give me bullet.
Bo Nickal via X 

Magomedov didn’t waste any time to respond. During the post-fight press conference, the one-eyed Russian accepted Nickal’s offer. However, Nickal did get some criticism for calling out the Dagestani who is not known for his wrestling skills. Nevertheless, the promotion might be interested in making the fight, given the popularity among both the fighters and the ongoing rivalry. 

In case you missed it!