As UFC 309 approaches, the fight card has been generating significant buzz, with the main and co-main events drawing much attention. Among the less-talked-about bouts is the middleweight clash between undefeated Bo Nickal and veteran Paul Craig, set to take place this weekend in the heart of New York City.

Despite the limited focus on this exciting matchup, there remains a lingering question in fans’ minds about the future of wrestling in the promotion. With Nickal’s impressive wrestling background, including three NCAA national championships, many wonder if he could be the next face of UFC’s wrestling scene, especially as Jon Jones nears the end of his career.

This conversation was recently sparked by a TNT Sports reporter, who raised the question of whether Bo Nickal could take over as the next major wrestling star in UFC. Dana White nodded in agreement, noting the significance of the fight. He said, “I agree with you. I mean, looking at a guy with six fights taking on a guy with 25 fights—this is a huge step up for him. He asked for this fight. He wanted to be tested, and he’s going to be on Saturday night.”

However, despite the head honcho’s plan to match Bo Nickal with a Top 15 middleweight or someone who has recently made a significant jump in the rankings, similar to Khamzat Chimaev, Nickal’s approach differs from White’s. He’s not rushing to face the top-ranked fighters just yet. Instead, he prefers to test himself against opponents outside the top 15, allowing him to further hone his skills and solidify his reputation. Let’s explore what else Bo Nickal has to say about the possibility of facing Khamzat Chimaev.

Bo Nickal gives his honest opinion on Khamzat Chimaev

UFC middleweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev made headlines last month at UFC 308 when he shut down Robert Whittaker in the first round with a “jaw-dropping” rear-naked choke. This matchup, originally scheduled a long time ago, had to be postponed due to Chimaev’s health condition weeks before the fight.

Despite Chimaev’s impressive recent run and some setbacks, Bo Nickal has debunked the idea of facing him too soon. Even though Nickal called out Chimaev when he debuted at DWCS and considers him an ideal opponent due to their wrestling backgrounds, Nickal still believes he needs to learn more before stepping into the cage with Chimaev.

Nickal said, “I think that Khamzat’s last performance was incredible. Probably the best performance he’s had, submitting a former champion in the first round…I have a lot of catching up to do, I’m fighting unranked guys right now…The main focus is to improve, develop, and get better at fighting, and we’ll make that happen [facing Chimaev] in time.”

What’s your take on Dana White’s comments? Should he have given the young prospect, Bo Nickal, the opportunity to face a top middleweight sooner, rather than waiting for tomorrow’s fight to determine the next step? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.