Dana White’s Biggest Prospect Committed a Huge Blunder With Khamzat Chimaev While Being Asked to Learn a “Lesson”

Published 10/17/2023, 9:31 AM EDT

UFC middleweight sensation Bo Nickal is widely considered the future of the division. With Paulo Costa pulling out of the fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, the Colorado native hoped to get a phone call from Dana White. Instead, the call was made to former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. But why didn’t Nickal get that call?

After his 2nd win on DWCS, Nickal had his sights set on Khamzat Chimaev. But despite having called him out in the past, and an unbeaten record in the UFC, Nickal didn’t even get mentioned in the conversation. The promotion’s decision both frustrated and confused Nickal, but a former UFC middleweight icon had the answer to his questions.

Bo Nickal disappointed after not being considered for Chimaev fight at UFC 294

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Speaking on his YouTube channel recently, Bo Nickal expressed his disappointment and said, “I was disappointed they didn’t ask me to step in there. I was expecting at least an ask like, ‘Hey, you want to do this?’ But, no. Just nothing. Nothing from the UFC. It is what it is.” He added, “I’m guessing they didn’t want me to roll over into Abu Dhabi on 10 days’ notice and smash their boy in front of his home crowd or something.”

UFC veteran Chael Sonnen had a few things to say about Nickal’s complaints. The former UFC star had given the situation quite a bit of thought and had his finger on where Nickal made a mistake. This isn’t the first time Sonnen has shown interest in a Bo Nickal-Khamzat Chimaev fight. Earlier this year in July, The Bad Guy had claimed Bo could definitely beat Chimaev.

But after Nickal expressed his disappointment about UFC 294, the three-time title challenger took to his YouTube channel to discuss the situation and explain why Nickal missed out on a ticket to UFC’s Fight Island.

Chael Sonnen believes Nickal committed a grave error, so they did not even consider him for the Chimaev fight. Sonnen believes that Nickal should have lobbied for it. On his YouTube channel, Sonnen said, “This needs to be a lesson. This needs to be a moment where Bo gets cold water splashed on his face.”

Sonnen thinks Chimaev is being groomed and prepared to take over the division as its champion and run with it for quite for time. He added, “Bo, as great as he is, but unranked. It’s going to be nearly impossible to bring these pieces together. But they could have done it one week ago, for sure“. So UFC 294 was the only scenario where Sonnen saw the two getting it on inside the octagon, despite both the fighters’ records almost mirroring each other.

Chael Sonnen on why UFC 294 was the last chance to see Nickal vs. Chimaev

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Sonnen believes, unlike Kamaru Usman, who made it known that he would like to fight Khamzat Chimaev, Nickal never positioned himself to be considered if the situation arose. According to Sonnen, the answer to Nickal’s disappointment is simple. He should have lobbied for his position.

On His Way To Manhandle Kamaru Usman, Khamzat Chimaev’s Dangerous Plans for Rival at UFC 294 Revealed by Former Teammate

Throughout his career, Sonnen was known for his promo skills and his ability to sell fights with them. He would call opponents out, garner interest in the fight, and then essentially put himself in that position where he could fight the top guys on the roaster. It’s only prudent that he expects more of the same from a rising prospect like Bo Nickal.

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So, do you think Nickal should have called out Chimaev? Could he actually take down the impregnable Swede (now officially an Emirati)? Do let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Watch Charles Oliveira’s Gruesome Injury That Forced Brazilian To Pull Out Of UFC 294 Islam Makhachev Fight

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Written by:

Smrutisnat Jena is a UFC editor at EssentiallySports. Smrutisnat’s expertise in the role is backed by almost 7 years of experience in both senior writer and editor roles across multiple organizations. Coming from a wrestling family, Smrutisnat has been following MMA since middle school, thanks to his uncles and cousins who followed the sport during the days of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen

Dana White’s Biggest Prospect Committed a Huge Blunder With Khamzat Chimaev While Being Asked to Learn a “Lesson”

Bo Nickal disappointed after not being considered for Chimaev fight at UFC 294

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Chael Sonnen on why UFC 294 was the last chance to see Nickal vs. Chimaev