“Checks a lot of those boxes” – Bo Nickal and Khamzat Chimaev share similarities, says Jon Anik, who defends the American’s UFC 300 main card slot

Fans have expressed their outrage after learning that Bo Nickal will be making his third consecutive appearance on a pay-per-view card. The highly-regarded middleweight prospect is scheduled to kick off the main card of UFC 300, facing off against Cody Brundage. This placement has sparked controversy as Nickal will be featured above several former UFC champions.

Despite the presence of notable fighters like Aljamain Sterling and Jiri Prochazka on the preliminary card, many were left bewildered by Nickal’s placement on the PPV, a position typically reserved for more established and highly-ranked fighters.

However, Jon Anik, the play-by-play commentator for the UFC, recently shared his opinion on the subject. He compared the undefeated American’s presence to that of Khamzat Chimaev, one of the sport’s most prominent figures.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Anik discussed Nicka’s upcoming UFC 300 slot and shared his thoughts on the matter.

“When Khamzat Chimaev came on to the scene it was during the global pandemic… When it comes to these certain athletes, Khamzat Chimaev, I would even throw out there 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., Bo Nickal. There’s just a different electricity when it comes to some of these guys. You parlay their fight style with the expectation and pressure, and the fan intrigue, and I just think Bo Nickal checks a lot of boxes.”

View Jon Anik’s interview starting at 14:25 below:

The link to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7SK7IhjXfA.

Bo Nickal shares his thoughts on a potential showdown with Khamzat Chimaev in the future

Despite his young age, Bo Nickal is already considered one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the world of MMA. He has achieved remarkable success in the sport of wrestling, winning gold medals in three consecutive NCAA Div. 1 tournaments and placing second at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2020, where he was narrowly beaten by the eventual gold medalist at the 2020 Olympic Games, David Taylor.

In 2022, Anthony Smith, a UFC light heavyweight contender, predicted that in a potential wrestling match, Nickal would easily overpower Khamzat Chimaev, stating that he would “ragdoll”him.

During a recent interview, Michael Bisping, the undefeated middleweight, discussed his opinion on the division and the possibility of facing ‘Borz’ in the future. He stated,

“He’ll probably fight for the belt in his next one or two fights… I see him probably being the champ and that’s someone who I would love to fight. I know I said that it’s never personal for me, but he’s a guy that I feel like has a crazy reputation who I absolultely have to take out before my career is over.”

You can view Bo Nickal’s interview from 22:20 in the video below:

The URL for the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dloG1aFrsPQ.