Bo Nickal brings same energy as Khamzat Chimaev fight, says Jon Anik ahead of controversial UFC 300 card line-up

Bo Nickal opens up the April 13 main card against Cody Brundage at the T-Mobile Arena.

Bo Nickal brings same energy as Khamzat Chimaev fight, says Jon Anik ahead of controversial UFC 300 card line-up

Jon Anik comapres Bo Nickal to Khamzat Chimaev (Source: IMAGO/Instagram)

Bo Nickal opens up the star-studded UFC 300 main card. The whole line-up has a plethora of names who are champions or have held the title before. Hence, Nickal opening up the main card has received backlash. However, Jon Anik has invoked a Khamzat Chimaev reference to defend the decision.

Bo Nickal is just at 5-0 MMA and 2-0 UFC in his current run. While good stats by themselves, names like Jiri Prochazka, Aljamain Sterling, and others dwarf that particular record. Even debutante two-time PFL winner and Olympian Kayla Harrison hold a heftier gravitas. However, Jon Anik voiced the decision as favorable, considering Nickal’s potential superstar status.

Khamzat Chimaev, I would even throw out there 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., Bo Nickal – there’s just a different electricity when it comes to some of these guys...You parlay their fight style with the expectation, and the pressure, and the fan intrigue, and I just think Bo Nickal checks a lot of boxes...
Jon Anik to MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze”, Ep. 3,449
YouTube video

In Episode 3,449, the UFC play-by-play veteran said the NCAA national champion has what it takes to become a superstar. Chimaev ran through his earlier opponents to become a fan-favorite UFC fighter. So far, Nickal has done the same and would aim to replicate the result at UFC 300 as well. The decision to put Nickal on the main card would greatly benefit the UFC. As Anik suggested, Nickal has a ‘different electricity’ when it comes to fighting.

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So far, he has finished all his opponents. As such, the UFC wants to have an entertaining start to the main card, with Nickal having the most potential to provide a finish. Moreover, if Nickal wins and goes on to become a world champion in the future, UFC’s decision to put him on the main card would look like a genius one. Hence, a lot is riding on Nickal to make a statement performance at UFC 300.

Bo Nickal fires back at UFC 300 opening spot criticism

Aljamain Sterling debuts as a featherweight. Former champion Jiri Prochazka returns after a knockout loss and former champion Cody Garbrandt, challenging Deiveson Figueiredo, remains some crucial UFC 300 fights. Kayla Harrison will make her UFC debut and yet the promotion settled for Cody Brundage and Bo Nickal facing each other for the main card opener? That is what a lot of fight fans have been strongly voicing against.

Bo Nickal claims he enjoys it when fans become enraged 
Bo Nickal claims he enjoys it when fans become enraged (via Imago)

Nickal addressed the criticism on his YouTube channel. He said the UFC brass made the decision and reasoned why the promotion didn’t put him on the prelim spot.

I don’t get paid any more or less, It doesn’t affect me. At the end of the day, the decision was made because I probably sell more. At the end of the day, the most watched spot is the end of the prelims...So if they wanted more people to see me, they would’ve put me at the end of the prelims. But the reality is that they want to sell more pay-per-views, so they put me on the pay-per-view...
Bo Nickal via his Official YouTube channel

On the other hand, Brundage also responded to the criticism. However, he took a comical approach rather than Nickal’s serious one. The college wrestling standout reasoned that the UFC wanted to sell more PPVs and hence decided to put him on PPV. There is no proof to indicate Nickal as a PPV attraction. However, the UFC might be trying to build him as an attraction by putting him on the biggest UFC card ever.

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