Last week, UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal extended his unbeaten streak to seven with a largely uneventful unanimous decision victory over Paul Craig. While this win solidifies his rise in the ranks, pushing him closer to the top 10, it’s not his victory that’s been generating the most buzz. Instead, it’s his underwhelming performance that has stirred conversation, even drawing the attention of UFC president Dana White.

White didn’t hesitate to offer advice to Nickal. Speaking to the media at the post-fight presser, White said, “He still dominated, he won the whole fight, but he’s got work to do. It’s alright, we’ll move him. When you’re in a position like Bo is, there’s a lot of expectations.”

However, Bo Nickal doesn’t think his performance was underwhelming. Speaking to Ariel Helwani today, Nickal expressed satisfaction with his overall performance against Paul Craig. He said, “I am super happy with my performance. I feel like that was definitely just a valuable experience for me and my development, and I think that the way I won was a big boost to my confidence. Knowing that I can go in there against a guy with 26-27 pro-MMA fights…”

Despite the undefeated wrestling phenom’s positive outlook, the reaction from fans at Madison Square Garden painted a different picture. Following his performance, sections of the crowd chanted “overrated,” a sentiment that Nickal may brush off for now. However, such reactions could become a concern in future matchups, especially against high-caliber opponents like Khamzat Chimaev.

Darren Till issues a warning to Bo Nickal

Bo Nickal never imagined that after delivering six consecutive impressive performances, his journey would face such criticism despite securing his seventh win under the promotion’s banner against BJJ expert Paul Craig. However, following his lackluster performance last week at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden, the MMA community has slammed him. Among the critics is former UFC contender Darren Till, now trying his hand at boxing but still closely following the MMA world.

A close friend of Khamzat Chimaev, Till recently took to X to share his thoughts and even predicted the outcome if Nickal were to face Chimaev in the future. In a fiery post, Till stated, “Guy has talked so much sh*t. Sh*t talked me since he came [to] the UFC like I haven’t fought and beat top guys in there. Be more humble, ya ginger tool, because you’re sh*t and Khamzat would destroy you.”

What’s your take on Bo Nickal’s performance against Paul Craig? Was it truly underwhelming, or is it too early to make judgments about Nickal’s potential, given that he’s just two years into his transition from wrestling to the UFC? Share your thoughts below!

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