Michael Bisping thinks Bo Nickal could become a UFC superstar.
The 5-0 fighter is just two fights into his career with MMA’s premier league, but he’s quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects on the roster.
However, he recently found himself under fire from fans after it was announced that he will feature on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 300 on April 13.
The middleweight prospect will fight ahead of Charles Oliveira and five more former UFC champions, who will feature in preliminary bouts this weekend.
Nickal accepts he ‘probably’ should be fighting earlier in the evening at UFC 300, and Bisping gets why some people may be upset about his card placement.
“I understand why some people may have an issue with that because it seems a far more prestigious position, right? You’re on the pay-per-view,” he told MMA Fighting.
“But if you take that logic, then if you’re Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt, then you’re really annoyed.
“If you’re Jessica Andrade, you’re fuming. If you’re Holly Holm, if you’re Aljamain Sterling, the greatest bantamweight of all time.”
“Guess what? There’s not enough room for everybody because the card’s that f***ing stacked.”
Nickal was a three-time National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Division I wrestling champion before changing sports to pursue his UFC dream.
The former middleweight titleholder is convinced Nickal, who has KO’d his first two UFC opponents, has the wrestling ability to become a dominant champion like retired lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
He added: “Bo Nickal has the potential to go down as one of the greatest champions that we’ve ever seen – an American version of a Khamzat Chimaev or an Islam Makhachev or a Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“That’s the kind of pedigree that he has, and that’s what he’s shown so far. When you reach the level Bo Nickal has in wrestling, you’re a special kind of human being.
“Bo Nickal has got the ability to be an American Khabib Nurmagomedov, and he’s a great guy. He’s phenomenal. He’s undefeated.
“The UFC know what they have on their hands.”
Nickal is expected to breeze by his 10-5 opponent Cody Brundage on Saturday night, and it seems like he will then be fast-tracked into title contention.
Only time will tell if he’ll become the ‘American Khabib’ as Bisping predicts.
News Summary:
- ‘He’s phenomenal’ – Michael Bisping backs criticised UFC 300 fighter to become American version of Khabib Nurmagomedov
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