“I would like to fight a couple more times this year, so getting back as quickly as possible would be good for me,” Bo Nickal confidently told Ariel Helwani, expressing his belief that he’s ready for a quick turnaround. The Penn State Alum wants to evolve as a better fighter after suffering the humiliating defeat against Reinier de Ridder. Understandably, the All-American is itching to prove everyone wrong. But to achieve that, he needs a drastic change of approach!

The former NCAA superstar’s wrestling prowess has given sweat to many formidable wrestlers during his freestyle career. Naturally, Nickal’s wrestling credentials became the main reason to recognize him as a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. However, his last two outings (first against Paul Craig at UFC 309) and now the debacle against de Ridder have turned a lot of heads around his training methods. 

As the 29-year-old remains a prospect and, for the first time, found himself on the receiving end in his professional MMA career, the conversation about transforming him back into the hammer has become a hot topic. Experts, fans, and even their uncles are sharing their opinions from all directions. Adding to the mix, Brendan Schaub has also weighed in, advising Bo Nickal to adopt the Khabib Nurmagomedov approach in his next fight.

During the Fighter and The Kid Podcast, Schaub said, “I don’t know what’s going on with Bo’s training, but he needs to take the Khabib approach and break guys and submit them and ground and pound them out. And that should be the only game plan. There are not enough hours in the day to catch up to be a top contender at striking.”

Many might not agree, but that’s solid advice from ‘Big Brown.’ Khabib blended multiple disciplines with his wrestling to create a complete, dominant package. He often mixed in elements of judo and jiu-jitsu to complement his grappling. For instance, ‘The Eagle’ executed a slick leg sweep against Darrell Horcher at UFC on FOX 19, and at UFC 254 against Justin Gaethje, he showcased a smooth transition from a single-leg takedown to back control, a classic BJJ move.

Nickal could realistically incorporate these elements into his game more easily than trying to rapidly overhaul his striking, which might take considerably more time. However, the All-American is aiming for a quick return to the cage, so it’s only natural that he’s already thinking about his next opponent. This has sparked widespread discussion—what kind of competition should he take on next? Fortunately, Bo has offered some clarity by revealing the type of opponent he hopes to face. So, let’s take a look at what he had to say.

Bo Nickal reveals he doesn’t want a step down from the level of his last opponent

Bo Nickal may have lost his last fight, but his competitive spirit remains intact. He’s already faced tough opponents like Paul Craig, who holds a submission win over the current light heavyweight champion. And suffered a loss to a former two-division champion in ONE FC. With that in mind, Nickal isn’t too concerned about who he gets matched up with next. Still, he hopes to test himself against higher-level competition moving forward.

On the Ariel Helwani show, he said, “No, I don’t really care, whoever they wanna match me up with, doesn’t really matter. I think that I’ve fought amazing guys every time I’ve stepped up out there. I don’t expect anything different. It’s hard, because it’s like a balance where I’ve been fairly active and you’re fighting better and better guys.”

He added, “So, I can’t take the traditional route where guys are fighting O and O guys or guys that have a couple of fights. I haven’t fought a guy with the same level of experience as me since my first pro fight. Every single fight after my first pro fight, the guys had triple and quadruple the number of fights that I have. That’s just a reality of the situation, so there’s no stepping back.”

Nickal is definitely making a fair point here. Aside from Val Woodburn, who had just seven fights under his belt, his other opponents, like Jamie Pickett and Cody Brundage, were fairly experienced fighters. So, it’s expected that the 29-year-old All-American won’t be handed a simple, no-name matchup in his next outing. That being said, who do you think should step into the Octagon with him next? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!