Will Bo Nickal crush Khamzat Chimaev when they ultimately face off in the Octagon? This debate has been an ongoing topic within the MMA community, and UFC insider Chael Sonnen finds himself at the center of it. The former UFC middleweight contender believes that Bo Nickal has what it takes to get the job done, but he remains skeptical about whether it will actually happen. Nickal might have the wrestling for him but what about the grappling aspect? Well, Sonnen has a perfect opponent for Chimaev in that case.

While speaking with his audience on his YouTube channel, The American Gangster emphasized that a future matchup between Bo Nickal and Khamzat Chimaev is inevitable. He described it as a dream fight for many within the promotion, including himself. However, what he found even more intriguing was the prospect of a shared opponent between the two, “I’m not coming down on you whenever I talk about Bo and Chimaev fighting. It’s always against each other because that is everybody’s dream match. I get it.But it would just be fun to have that common opponent, and I suggest that perhaps we’re looking in the wrong direction to think we have to do that within MMA,” said Sonnen.

He further added, “I mean, Gordon Ryan solves a lot of problems right there.I do not believe that Chimaev would back down. I know he would not publicly back down. So it would just depend on who the event organizer was. Gordon would show up, and I just think when, okay, when all of a sudden we have a common opponent, it might be a good way to work Bo back into it. I mean, if Chimaev and Bo are not going to be able to stay separated, they’re just not. And Chimaev is of the mindset right now of, “I don’t care.”

Back when Bo Nickal was transitioning to the MMA world from wrestling, he tested his mettle against Gordon Ryan to better understand the grappling aspect of the game. Nickal anticipated a tough fight but never expected it to be one that would completely change his perception of grappling. Nickal competed against Ryan at the Third Coast Grappling 3 promotional event and Gordon Ryan literally rag-dolled Ryan in grappling as he clinched the victory by way of a triangular armbar. Well, years have passed since their clash and Nickal has confidence in his ability now. In his latest confession, the fighter explained that he would crush Khamzat Chimaev.

Bo Nickal believes that he will succeed against Khamzat Chimaev

Undefeated in his MMA career, Bo Nickal remains unwavering in his confidence about thriving against Khamzat Chimaev inside the UFC Octagon. While having a conversation with Chael Sonnen on Nickal’s YouTube handle, the middleweight prospect emphasized that he is excited to face Chimaev and he has what it takes to defeat the undefeated Chechen warrior, “That’s the fight I’ve been wanting for a long time,” Nickal said.

He further added, “We’ll make it happen. I think that… that fight is massive. It’s been talked about since I [first] started MMA, and so I feel like the proper circumstance is for the belt. It has to be for the belt in my mind. It changes the timeline a little bit because it’s like, let’s see, if I get into the rankings and he’s number whatever, we can fight, but I feel like that it’s owed to, I think, us as fighters, to the fans, to the MMA community, for that to be a world championship fight and I can’t wait. Because at the end of the day, for me, the idea is I want to fight the best guys in the world. It’s not, ‘This guy sucks, this guy sucks, I’m so much better than everybody,’ it’s like, that guy is freaking good. He’s a savage. He’s a beast.”

After securing finishes in his initial three UFC bouts, Nickal took on seasoned veteran Paul Craig at UFC 309 in November. Despite winning the bout by way of unanimous decision, Nickal’s performance at Madison Square Garden in New York didn’t resonate as spectacularly as expected. Regardless, the fighter is confident that his next fight will be a banger. What’s your take on his career? State your thoughts in the comments below.