‘Can beat Alex Pereira, not me!’ Khamzat Chimaev surprisingly praises fellow undefeated prospect Bo Nickal

Khamzat Chimaev praises Bo Nickal in an interview with Ariel Helwani, claims Nickal can beat Alex Pereira in a potential fight.

‘Can beat Alex Pereira, not me!’ Khamzat Chimaev surprisingly praises fellow undefeated prospect Bo Nickal

Khamzat Chimaev thinks Bo Nickal can defeat Champion Alex Pereira (Image Courtesy - MMA Underground)

Khamzat Chimaev has not fought since his submission victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 279. After the victory over Holland came much speculation about where Chimaev will fight next. Chimaev went on the MMA hour and talked about the move to Middleweight and a potential fight with Bo Nickal. Chimaev was all praise for Bo Nickal but does not think Nickal can beat him now.

In the interview with Ariel Helwani, Chimaev said, “He (Nickal) is going to win against Pereira easy.” But when asked about a potential fight right now, Chimaev said, “Maybe we will meet some day. He is a good fighter, but still, I didn’t see so much. In three years, we will see. When I come up maybe we will fight for the title one day. It’s too early to fight me and him. He didn’t become 100% a fighter. If they put against me, that guy, now, I am going to break him in three rounds. If they put me later, we will make some fun fight for everyone.”

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Khamzat Chimaev appreciates the skill and mentality of Bo Nickal. It is such a rare sight for Chimaev to praise upcoming fighters. Chimaev is waiting for the UFC to announce his next fight. According to the current speculation, he will fight either Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa or Marvin Vettori.

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Bo Nickal at UFC 285 won his first fight in the UFC against Jamie Pickett. Although it was somewhat controversial, Nickal showed his grappling prowess. He will look to fight again soon to build his way to potentially fighting for the Middleweight Championship.

Related:“It’s an easy fight for me,” Colby Covington denies receiving offer to fight Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev thinks Alex Pereira is an easy fight

Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev (Image Courtesy – MMA Junkie)

Khamzat Chimaev believes that Champion Alex Pereira is an easy fight for him. They have previously beefed about a potential fight on Twitter, but it never materialised. In the interview with Ariel Helwani, Chimaev explained why he wins easily against Pereira.

Chimaev said, “He is the most easy fight for me in the UFC. First round, first minute. Easy. No punch, nothing. That guy has zero wrestling. I don’t know — yes, UFC like to push that guy, crazy guy, and he is playing, showing his face always serious, and all that s***. Why play that much? I don’t know. I don’t like that guy.”

Pereira is known for his kickboxing ability, which is why Chimaev thinks he will win easily against the current Middleweight Champion. It remains to be seen if the two fighters will compete one day.

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