Three-time collegiate wrestling champion Bo Nickal, who has gone 6-0 in his MMA career, has been discussed by former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman, with Cejudo suggesting Nickal is 10 fights away from a UFC title, while Usman believes he could be a contender in two years or after four more fights.
Bo Nickal? Yeah, he’s got “future champ” written all over him. But the million-dollar question is, how long’s it gonna take for this blue-chip prospect to pen his victory tale?
This three-time collegiate wrestling champ made a splash in the MMA world in 2022. Since then, he’s been on a roll, going 6-0. And let’s not forget, all his fights ended with a knockout or submission. Talk about making a statement!
Just this past Saturday at UFC 300, he pushed past the first round. He put Cody Brundage to sleep with a rear-naked choke in Round 2. But here’s the kicker: Nickal wasn’t exactly thrilled with his performance.
The debate’s still hot on how the UFC should handle him moving forward. Former UFC champs Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman weighed in on Nickal’s potential in a recent episode of their “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. They tried to guess how many more fights Nickal needs before he’s ready for a UFC title shot.
Cejudo’s take? “If you’re lucky enough to get the call to fight me, just be grateful and sign that contract,” he said. But he cautioned Nickal against putting too much pressure on himself. He believes Nickal could be a future champ at 185 pounds, but isn’t quite ready for the top 10.
He warned against putting Nickal up against heavyweights like Marvin Vettori, who’s got solid jiu-jitsu skills and can wrestle. Even Paolo ‘Borrachinha’ [Costa] might be too much. Cejudo thinks Nickal needs to go three rounds at 185 pounds.
He added, “He needs to understand that threshold. Winning early isn’t everything. If you want to be champ, how will you feel going five rounds against Sean Strickland? Paolo ‘Borrachinha?’ Robert Whittaker? Jared Cannonier? The weight class is stacked. He needs to slow down. I think he’s maybe 10 fights away from becoming UFC champion.”
Usman, on the other hand, wasn’t buying the double-digit fight prediction. “Definitely not 10 fights away,” he said. He believes if Nickal continues to grow at his current pace, he’ll be in the contender range in two years. “Next four fights, he’s there,” he predicted.
Usman emphasized the importance of “moments.” He recalled Nickal’s previous fight, not the one last weekend. “Two or three more of those moments, one of those ranked opponents and he disposes of them first round, huge knockout? He’s fast-tracked to the title, for sure.”
Cejudo later adjusted his prediction to six fights. But he still thinks Nickal could be three years away.
One thing Cejudo and Usman agreed on? Nickal needs to tune out the chatter and focus on honing his skills.
Usman’s advice? “He’s had a level head to him, but he just needs to focus on improving,” he said. “Stop worrying about what this guy does or doesn’t, or what this guy says, or whether I please the fans with a crazy knockout, first round. Who gives a s***? Just go out there and improve each and every day.”