Bo Nickal, following his win over Paul Craig at UFC 309, is looking to face ranked competition in the UFC middleweight division but doesn’t expect to fight another highly touted prospect like Shara “Bullet” Magomedov soon, as he aims to continue developing his skills and gaining experience.
Bo Nickal’s got some thoughts about his next UFC opponent. But don’t expect him to face another hyped-up prospect like Shara "Bullet" Magomedov anytime soon.
Fresh off a win over Paul Craig at UFC 309, Nickal’s already eyeing the future. He hopes to face ranked competition as he continues to evolve in his career. Yet, he knows the UFC won’t pit him against a pure striker like Magomedov just yet. Why? Because both fighters have similar undefeated records, and the UFC wouldn’t want to risk losing one of its rising stars.
"They wouldn’t match it up," Nickal mentioned on the Pound-for-Pound podcast. "It would be an easy fight for me, no problem there. But let’s talk about it realistically."
As for potential opponents, Nickal feels he’s ready for the rankings’ challenge. But he’s not aiming too high just yet.
While he didn’t call anyone out directly, he did drop a few names from the lower end of the middleweight rankings.
"Any guy in the top 15, from [No. 15 to 10], is a tough fight," Nickal said. "There’s nobody in the UFC that isn’t good, right? Even guys I’ve knocked out could be all-stars in regional promotions."
He mused over fighters like Michel Pereira, Anthony Hernandez, Shara Bullet, Roman Kopylov, Roman Dolidze, and Paulo Costa. Even Kevin Holland, who bounces between weight classes, caught his attention.
Nickal believes these fighters pose intriguing challenges. He acknowledges they might give him trouble but remains confident in his skill set. With continued training in striking and jiu-jitsu, he thinks he can dominate many of them.
Despite his ambitions to become UFC middleweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter someday, Nickal remains grounded. He’s aware of his limited experience compared to many upcoming opponents.
That’s why he valued his 15-minute bout with Craig at UFC 309—it was a learning experience after breezing through earlier fights.
As he gears up to tackle top-tier fighters, Nickal knows there’s zero room for error.
"I’ve been fighting MMA professionally just over two years," he shared. "I started in late summer 2022 and now I’m featured at Madison Square Garden by end of 2024."
Looking ahead to 2026, Nickal sees a high trajectory for himself. All he needs is to stay on this path.
He’s confident in his work ethic—both physically and mentally. He claims no one matches his dedication to film study and developing fight IQ. That’s where he believes he’s gaining an edge over others and will continue to do so.