How many UFC middleweights can beat Bo Nickal?

Chael Sonnen talks Bo Nickal on this episode of Beyond the Fight
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All things UFC and MMA with the undefeated Bad Guy, Chael Sonnen. UFC Champions, Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, the MMA hour and commentary on the latest UFC news, UFC Champions in 2022, UFC knockouts and finishes.

[@davideaston8314]

"Who can beat Bo?" The fact Uncle Chael didnt raise his own hand, just shows the humility of the man! Undefeated. Undisputed.

[@wexwuthor1776]

Goes without saying...

[@timsmothers8740]

​@@wexwuthor1776¹ŵxc I xxŵ B l

[@JohnnyHands]

Never lost a round. Never taken a drink.

[@davideaston8314]

@@JohnnyHands Never paid for a round! lol

[@lashawncraig9560]

Gsp,

[@bchristopher2270]

Chael's feigned confusion over the rankings is one of my favorite bits he does. Just fantastic.

[@clintonmallard8447]

It makes me believe he is secretly apart of making the rankings haha

[@DucksForever87]

@@clintonmallard8447Wow, that would be a crazy twist.

[@Aerieswhuntermusicofficial]

@@DucksForever87I mean it is Chael bro. He is THAT guy. Sneaky asf

[@pawrestlingchamp]

@@clintonmallard8447 This was well over a decade ago, but Dana was preparing Chael to replace him when he retires. They had a big following out, but they are on good terms again so it could still happen.

[@AHALKALAKETS]

@@pawrestlingchampfalling out why

[@samxyx]

Bo could realistically fight tomorrow if he wanted to. Went through that whole camp and absorbed 0% of damage.

[@weewoo2242]

Nah. The ufc has whole cards booked for months he'd have to hope a middleweight fight falls through so he could step in. Also bo said he wanted to go hunt or something with his family so he won't be back for months.

[@arackms5133]

You guys are forgetting about the weight cuts they’re brutal for every fighter so he might not want to turn around so quickly

[@bennyks819]

@@arackms5133o doesn’t really cut a lot of weight it’s much more realistic for him

[@theo4014]

@@weewoo2242mate JDM booked for next week

[@jovanihernandez1948]

bo isn’t turning down any opportunities

[@darrellowings2343]

I think what's happening is the speed of improvement in MMA is picking up. New levels are showing up just as you've seen the existing one hit its pinnacle. This is causing a push back funk that is bothersome. Bo Vs Chimaev is the way to break it loose. When the fans get to the point where they don't care about rankings or who the champion is then maybe people sitting and trying to play the numbers will stop and everyone will just fight.

[@Affluxion107]

Bo is showing that having elite wrestling is the best thing to have to dominate mma

[@mohnjarx7801]

No way! Then you have a guy who lost and is a bit stifled. Run them against everyone except each other and get that huge ppv ticket for the belt

[@darrellowings2343]

@@mohnjarx7801 That's conventional wisdom. I'm saying screw that. Go against it. Break up that kind of strategic dinking around. It's gotten to be a sickness.

[@darrellowings2343]

@@Affluxion107 That's a theme we see over and over and I look at Bo is someone they stretched themselves to get to take on Chimaev. If he can beat Chimeav it reveals the formula to slow the Lincon Beard invasion not that I have a problem with it. I want to see the best and then figure out a way to usher in a new best and so on but it would show how to have parity with those dudes. You need to get more this level wrestler at a young age.

[@Rantalytics]

@@Affluxion107stop

[@steelscorpion316]

Aliskerov called Bo out. Bo didn’t respond.

[@gordonsmith5589]

Who?

[@brycehouse3544]

Bo was already signed to fight Gore/Woodburn when Ikram called him out. And Ikram is currently supposed to fight Paulo later this month There would be no point in responding

[@jakedemaggio8649]

And Bo called out Kamzat who also didn’t respond until months later Ariel pushed the issue while interviewing Kamzat, who STILL wouldn’t even say Bo’s name and instead showed zero interest in that fight & said Bo needs to get more experience & fight his way up the division like him before he would even consider it…. So they you go 😂

[@xavierb9061]

@@jakedemaggio8649 look who bos fighting look who ikram fighting...no

[@GoulagInamte777]

@@xavierb9061Bo is 5-0 while Ikram is 14-1 , it's normal Ikram is fighting against tougher competition 😂 Are you stupid?

[@1galaxydrifter]

That little shout out to Val is what i wanna see more of. 7-1 now, promising future in the sport, stepped up to the biggest stage and made the walk. Lots of bums claim they would make the walk, he actually did against a guy that looks to be on the fast track. I hope the ufc treated him well

[@serpentinefire921]

He also had some shades of great timing and ring generalship that if fostered well could make him a dominant force. Would love to see that happen.

[@cpugh70]

In Bo's progression, you can already see the alchemy of his wrestling into his boxing. And, he doesn't throw hands with caution, he throw's them to knock you out. This kid is trouble for anyone in the division.. I didn't want to come along on this train, but it's real.

[@VSM101]

NO ONE IS TAKING HIM DOWN EITHER LOL

[@jaywp2343]

I haven't watched him yet, does he beat izzy?

[@leonidas7281]

​@@jaywp2343destroys him in my opinion

[@Danielson1818]

​@@jaywp2343Bo wins if he gets a hold of him. He's got heavy hands, but not nearly as slick or fast as Izzy. It's hard to judge Bo, because he ends his fights so quickly, and still new. In case you don't believe me on the "get his hands on him" part. Jon Jones had a little fun wrestling with Bo, and he lost. So the grappling would be terrible for Izzy.

[@jaywp2343]

@@Danielson1818 I'm bout to check him out!! I know this is hard to answer but if him and khabib was at the same weight who wins? Because he was so overwhelming once he got his hands on u

[@BuzzKlick]

Chael is my all time favorite hypester. He's just a sterling storyteller, and beating Bisping, Wanderleigh Silva, and even.... Anderson Silva....well until he didn't, gives him plenty of cred. He's got nerve, verve, and verbiage. I don't think this guy knew how to duck a fight. And if he want's your opinion, he'll give it to you. He's not always right, but he does think things through rather well.

[@Everynamestaken69]

He beat Anderson twice what are you talking about?

[@JustSendMeLocationPlease]

Chael has never lost a fight, much less a round.

[@armandbehzadi9589]

Only chael can beat chael

[@davideaston8314]

He can't let himself get close

[@jlguzman7810]

And that's why he's undefeated and undisputed lol

[@Dansince91]

And still never lost around to himself.

[@nickferretta6589]

Only beat can chael beat

[@MegaMma4life]

And chael is undefeated

[@youngarnold4]

I loved wrestling. I wrestled myself, and still try to watch as much as possible. I watched Bo wrestle in person and I must say, it is rare to see someone dominate at that high of level. And he looks like he's doing the same thing in the UFC.

[@Danielson1818]

It's crazy, because he doesn't look like anything special. Ginger dude, without any crazy muscles. He doesn't look bad, but not like an elite athlete. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I can take him. Talent just is what it is.

[@youngarnold4]

@@Danielson1818 It is crazy, he just throws people around like a ragdoll. He must have some hidden cowboy strength or something.

[@dannyjohnclaude9983]

He's really good and string base in wrestling but he needs to improve more on his striking I hope he becomes champion in the future 🔮

[@Duct_Tape_Boyz]

I would've liked to see him wrestle before the UFC. I think most of his power comes from his mental. He's super strong in the mind. I think Bo will ragdoll opponents in future press conferences as well 💪😂

[@firsttime6102]

What I've seen him lose to wrestlers on the international stage..he is a great white hope

[@Recon6delta]

Bo thanked his opponent for coming and signing on short notice to fight him. What a classy dude I’m a huge fan and I’m also from PA huge Penn State fan!👌🙏🏻

[@alfonsmoller2741]

Did not notice him at first. Bo is savage

[@d.w.935]

Bo vs Khazmat would be the fight to make! 👊

[@newonevery740]

It would be pointless, he didn't earn that fight

[@greysonG10]

​@@newonevery740He earned it by being 10x better than Khazmat.

[@newonevery740]

@@greysonG10 no and that isn't how fights are earned

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

If you wanna fight like Bo Nickal, Get yourself a Ridge wallet

[@jaymanishere13]

I have one. Its terrible

[@Merdock-yp2xj]

@@jaymanishere13I got one as a gift, also very disappointed, like my old one way better. Ridgewallet blows

[@chrissmith1364]

Cael you won me back, lol. You are the only one who has the guts to say it and the experience to see how much of a problem Bo is becoming. Nice work. God Bless brother.

[@TheDoughGetta]

I need to see how Bo matches up against someone in the Top 15. I would like to see him with a major step up in competition. Maybe Gastelum, Imavov or Hermansson.

[@The-Black-Militant]

He'd shit on Kelvin bad😂

[@bernardocisneros4402]

@travisgibson9707 I want to see him fight Roman Kopylov but I don't think they'll do it cause they don't want Bo to lose to a guy ranked below top 15. Roman is a great Sambo wrestler and good striker. I think it would be a good matchup but Bo would lose, so UFC won't make that fight anytime soon. They want Bo to be a golden goose. If he loses to Kopylov then there goes their golden eggs. UFC is all about what fights will bring the most money and I understand that because at the end of the day it's a business.

[@The-Black-Militant]

@@bernardocisneros4402 Bo would smoke his boots

[@bernardocisneros4402]

@@The-Black-Militant I would like to see it.

[@The-Black-Militant]

@@bernardocisneros4402 you don't think so?

[@mackdaddy6429]

DDP defends his title vs BO 2024

[@thefreshprinceofnohair9703]

Dana White would be so happy !! 😂

[@jakedemaggio8649]

@@thefreshprinceofnohair9703 the fans would be happy. Dana absolutely LOVES Adesanya and doesn’t want to see him lose! 😂 c’mon where have you been? Izzy is one of the UFC’s favorites, you think they wanna see Dricus beat IZZY?!? 😂 no way! But would Dana be able to live with Bo beating Izzy? I think YES along with 99% of the fans.

[@alpinewind3209]

Chael you have been on fire this past few weeks. I really enjoy when you talk about these deeper subjects of the business and use clear logic to poke holes in arguments. Irked chael wins again! Always appreciate the fantastic content, you're the most knowledgable and articulate voice in the mma world.

[@MrYEOO7]

MAD RESPECT FOR VAL.. HOPE HE GOT A FAT CHECK AND SOME MORE CHANCES TO PUT ON A SHOW. BO STEPPED ON HIS FOOT AND CAUGHT HIM, THATS AN OLD HIGHSCHOOL TECHNIQUE

[@dbz9754]

LOL

[@DonOrFinito]

He got $16000 and a contract

[@dudeotis]

@@DonOrFinito good !

[@erik_not4prophet_morano172]

$16k for...what was it, 30 seconds? Dude made over $115 mil per hour! Hella rate! Lol

[@whiskythrottle8421]

I’m not sure if y’all watched Bo’s interview on Ariel’s show. And Dana even said it in his post fight press. But Bo’s not to interested in fighting the top ranked guy’s right now. Not that he doesn’t think he can compete in with them. But he’s playing the long game. Keep fighting and beating these mid tear guy’s while gaining more experience, building his resume, and approving his skill set by leaps and bounds in the gym… He said in his interview I’m not really in a rush because once you start fighting these top 10 top 5 guy’s there’s no going back. He said he’s been boxing for a total of 18 months!! Because Ariel asked him where did you get these hands from you looked like a seasoned striker out there! Long story short he asked him when are we going to see you against Chimiev? That’s when he laid out his plan of what he wants to do. He’s not in it for the fame money ect ect. All though he feels like he can complete with all these guy’s he understands he’s new to the sport. He plans on being around for a long time there’s no rush to start fighting these top 5 guy’s with my experience to where you’d be setting specific game plans instead of taking your time to approve on all your skill sets against lower level comp…. Which makes perfect sense. I probably didn’t do a very good job of explaining it. But he laid out his plan on Aerial.

[@claudemaggard7162]

Bo has some basass submission skills also. He is a threat in that catagory as well

[@darrelladams4886]

Ufc is becoming more like the nba every day. Everyone wants to talk about how great and valuable they are, nobody wants to play. It’s time to focus on the guys who want to fight and will fight and spend less times on those what if and maybe guys. Guys who were willing to fight and lost were still willing to try

[@Tdinh79]

Bo needs to fight Ikram Aliskerov. We will see a top US wrestler vs a dagestani. This man was the toughest man to fight Chimaev, even out of Chimaevs own mouth. He also happened to call out Bo.

[@redneckrambo9626]

That could potentially be an amazing fight but I don't think Aliskerov's hands can keep up with Bo's. Probably looks a lot like the Chimaev fight

[@charlesbarkley223]

Ikram has a lot more experience but I'd still pick bo

[@13BloodyAprons]

UFC cant risk that.

[@brycehouse3544]

Yeah but he has a fight lined up with Paulo atm. Who knows if it actually happens, but for now he’s tied up

[@Tdinh79]

Yeah I'd be super interested to see how it goes down. I am biased towards bo watching his entire wrestling career and how creative he was. The man is a showman and always entertains!

[@thefreshprinceofnohair9703]

The UFC should have a middleweight tournament , the winner faces Izzy. Bo Nickal Chimaev Jared Cannonier Dricus DuPlesi

[@sheiladavis2304]

Way to tell it like it is! I always love it when the bad guy spits knowledge.

[@glshim13]

Uncle Chael still getting Ws in the middleweight class 😂😂😂😂

[@CoolnessOver-vf4mm]

Bo is tailor made for Middleweight. Its a striker dominant divison so won't be surprised if he runs through everyone

[@theblaze2294]

Romero: ??? Whittaker: ??? DDP: ??? Brunson: ???

[@DADRB0B55]

Brenden Allen & Andre Muniz as well. Get it you don’t like easy but let’s not keep up this bullshit missed that middleweight has no grapplers because that’s never actually been true.

[@DADRB0B55]

If Bo came in the Chris Weidman era he would get murdered since that era had literally only wrestlers except like Machida

[@dannygibson2597]

@@theblaze2294 brunson is 40 years old and romero is in bellator bro lol

[@danieldares2578]

​@@DADRB0B55Except for Mark Schultz, nobody close to Bo's wrestling

[@stuarthenry1008]

Best description of the rankings period.

[@edwardmcmorris9263]

Best intro ever, I laughed immediately! "Who can beat Bo Nickel raise your hand?" 😂😂😂 Not me

[@ttaayylloorrmmtt]

I mean. We still have to see him against solid competition. I hope the matchmakers give him somewhat of a challenge in his next fight

[@letmegetuhhh3959]

They put him with Gore who would have been a solid test but he got hurt. They’re trying to match him up reasonably

[@RhinoAg]

he's a guy who's never even fought mma until getting signed by the UFC its almost hilarous how good he is

[@Affluxion107]

@@RhinoAg that’s what happens when your wrestling is miles better than the rest of the ufc lmao

[@Trevor_Marines]

He was 4-0 and went in against a dude that was 7-0. I think they're challenging him reasonably.

[@jakedemaggio8649]

@@Trevor_Marines100% in fact in his UFC debut he had a record of 3-0 and beat a guy with like 25 pro fights & a winning record in Pickett. It’s insane. His last contender series fight he was 2-0 and destroyed a regional champion who was 7-1 and a solid prospect… in all 7 of Bo’s amateur & professional fights he’s finished all his opponents mins into the first round, with a variety of knock outs & submissions ALL WHILE never being hit once with a significant strike… what on earth is going on with this guy?!?!

[@SwankSinatra007]

Dude just loves Bo 😂

[@truthoverlies6434]

Of course he does. They're similar. Started wrestling, went to MMA.

[@littledicholas6131]

Wrestler solidarity is a real thing

[@mat5015]

Out of the top 15, I give exactly 10 people a reasonable chance to beat Bo. I think Bo should be a top 15 guy as of right now .

[@33moneyball]

Issue with someone like Bo is they pose a huge danger to high level guys, destroy lower/mid level guys, BUT likely lack the experience to beat the very very best. IMO you need to force some level of experience/development even if it feels like he’s being held back. Getting in 20 plus fights before he truly took on the best was an integral part of Khabib’s greatness. Similar dynamic with Bo and Chimaev.

[@sah4128]

Cannonier is the most underrated fighter on the entire roster right now

[@richardmorris7063]

Dude continues to impress. No threw 5 punches & all landed beautifully. And he's one of the best wrestler on planet earth. The gentleman he fought was undefeated & very stout! Impressive!

[@Kink-Panther]

Dude he fought that guy fought nobodies

[@CorporalGrievous93]

@Loc-wh7vn Lol it’s so weird how people act like you have to play a sport to discuss it. I’ve never played a snap of NFL football, but I have a very good understanding of how it’s played.

[@tonyg5132]

@@Loc-wh7vnDon’t be mad because he’s right

[@danieldares2578]

​@@CorporalGrievous93doubt it

[@danieldares2578]

​@@Kink-Panther7-0 with 5 knockouts? Maybe you're way more manly than the rest of us 😂

[@ryanrogers8211]

A super good striker who cannot be taken down. Other than that he’s going to clear out the division.

[@JosephLansing-oj7ki]

Not hating, but bo's striking is mediocre. The treat of his wrestling is what makes his striking successful

[@ryanrogers8211]

@@JosephLansing-oj7ki I agree with you. It’s a good striker who can’t be taken down that will beat Bo. Other than that he will smash everyone. Bo has a ways to go before his striking is top level.

[@frederickmiles8815]

Correct subjectivity breeds conflict - which in turn helps builds parallel content to the contest. And styles make matchups - the more you see Bo take steps up that subjectivity chain (similar to Khazmat) the bigger he becomes. Leading to better selling content.

[@reggielidd9442]

He revealed the three fighters that were called by name. Izzy, Jared and Sean.

[@Dr.W.H.Y.]

I want to see Bo Nickal vs Roman Dolidze

[@jimsteinmanfan80]

Now that GSP will be back from what I understand it will be some kind of grappling competition. If so there are some UFC fighters I would like to go fight there (as GSP said, the risk of injury is much lower than in MMA): Chimaev, Ortega, Makhachev, Covington, Rakhmonov, Hermansson, Aspinall and Nurmagomedov.

[@brennenbisme]

I've got an uncle that passed away who used to go on drunken rants that sounded JUST like this. Very nostalgic.

[@Makai77]

It will be interesting to see which top 15 MW decides to publicly say, "give me Bo Nickal, I'll kick his ass and expose him." I just wonder if any ranked fighter has the sack to do it.

[@JP-fr1dn]

I’d personally like to see Bo vs Vettori. Vettori has good wrestling and that godly chin so Bo’s sure to get tested the entire fight.

[@JonDoe-ei1wl]

Coming off a loss they could make that work, like chael said you can't name 10 guys that could beat Bo so set him up, and Vettori seems down to fight whoever

[@blaynemcveen2315]

I don’t understand why Bo’s camp, but honestly any current ufc fighter at that wouldn’t pay chael to steer their career or be a PR/Manager .What’s the worst thing that happens you don’t win and back up the hype? the only guy to be able to help you spin a loss in to a win is chael. You at worst buy yourself a few extra fights if you slip up instead of getting cut

[@bluejay9235]

Stylistically, the only MW I would pick to beat Bo right now would be Dricus.

[@scottsemrau2942]

I think he is going too be real hard to beat especially if he works consistently on his striking like he has. He has experience as well in boxing. Imagine he puts it into kicks as well!! He's gonna be a pain in the ass for anyone in that division. I believe he is going to be champion in no more then 2 years or less.

[@AlbertVanWyk-kz8sl]

Bo hasn't been tested yet until he gets to the top ten it's not possible to answer. At this stage he has shown that he deserves to be in the UFC and that their's a future for him in the sport and that's that....

[@jakedemaggio8649]

Yea but we can compare where he’s at in his career vs where the top guys in the sport were at and what we’re seeing from Bo is unprecedented in our sport.

[@grantrobinson9836]

⁠@@jakedemaggio8649o it isn’t. He’s been fed nobody’s. Just like O’Malley, just like khamzat before last year, just like Khabib. We’ve seen this story plenty of times before. People just gas Bo because he’s a white American and that’s what 75% of ufc fans are.

[@KingKola1]

@@jakedemaggio8649 no you can't make that type of comparison. what we've seen from BO isn't unprecedent. Many of the top ufc fighters have done, many with even higher caliber opponents. Jamie Pickett is Bo's highest caliber opponent so far, and Pickett isn't even ranked, the dude has 9 losses. or maybe you used the word "unprecedent" wrong. Alex Pereira for an example was fighting for the belt at 4 fights in, Bo isn't/ won't. All of Isreal's ufc opponents have been better and ranked higher than all of BO's so far, So yes it's still too early to say. He can be champion, but we're yet to truly see it. Not especially with Khamzat in that division.

[@FiqqyBlake-lc1od]

@@KingKola1o u think Pickett would beat Woodburn?

[@KingKola1]

@FiqqyBlake-lc1od absolutely not. Besides the fact that he only had 3 days to realistically prepare for Bo, he has zero fights in the ufc and he's slower striking wise. MMA experience is onething, but ufc experience is another.

[@Dansince91]

Whoever that 185er is Chael calling him out directly without doing it directly.😂 he’s the best

[@haneefel6537]

Chael is hands down the best UFC blogger for so many reasons lol

[@colecampbell1906]

I really don't think anyone in the division will beat him unless they happen to catch him clean with a KO early in the fight, which I don't see happening with his boxing experience.

[@Kink-Panther]

What are you guys doing here repeating what you guys saw one person write boo doesn't have boxing experience. Bo fought nobody yet that's decent in MMA . We have no idea how good his head movement is how he takes a hit.

[@SecondTimothy224through26]

Question, who can beat bone Nicol, raise your hand? Me, sitting on my hands.

[@brucecall1595]

Bo knows. This is a man who calls any 85'er easy work. And can back that up 100%. Bo knows

[@xonious9031]

I really don't see him beating Kopylov

[@jayminer6729]

As soon as I heard he was going into MMA for some reason I knew he was going to be great. Sure he's a 3x NCAA champion but not all wrestlers can make the transition. But there was something about his wrestling style that told me he could be a terror in MMA.

[@pyratellamarecordingstudio1062]

While it’s a very valid point Chael is making I think there’s another side to it. I don’t think the ufc wants Bo to fight a top ten guy right now. He’s so new they want him to fight lower level people so he learns the sport better. If a top tenner called him out I don’t think the ufc would let them fight. But it’s very true that no one’s calling him out and they’re probably all afraid of him.

[@steveseattle6791]

I would LOVE to see Strickland vs Bo. That would be a great one, esp since Dana said he doesn't really want to rush to the very top of the roster with Bo.

[@AsadM107]

Even his fight before that was basically a short round of sparring. He was probably ready for another fight after an hour.

[@gordonsmith5589]

Sean is the top dum dum

[@sethsteele4386]

​@@gordonsmith5589exactly what I was gonna say

[@isaacrayburn969]

@@gordonsmith5589yeah that’s an easy win for Bo… his only challenge is the striker adysana

[@pawrestlingchamp]

Sean is the 6th ranked fighter and will be bumping up a few spots shortly. Why would that fight make sense?

[@lanedangg]

I wanna hear Uncle Chael talk about Sandhagen some more. He’s such a dawg for fighting these tough young guys coming up. He could hold out for a title shot but he’s about his business

[@JonDoe-ei1wl]

Khamzat, Aliskerov, Vetorri and Drisc might be the only ones that have a good chance. I could see him getting Askrened by Izzy or Cannonier too

[@gregspencer7287]

I love it when Chael reminds fighters, fans and pundits who he is and what he’s done. Such a Chad. If you disagree with him, you are wrong by default. 🗿

[@LastChanceTrading1]

Chael I’m 135 lbs I can’t beat Bo and will not raise my hand

[@mariogasparri9452]

Glazing is wild Bro should be is coach already

[@robertgronowski6341]

The fighters don't fight enough for us to ever find out. Facts

[@donttrendonme]

Better question: who has bo beat? Nobody.

[@truecrescent00013]

I think Du Plesis would beat Bo pretty quickly.

[@danieldares2578]

DuPlessis looks very BIG. That's a lot of weight. Wonder how he's cutting it?

[@buffoonustroglodytus4688]

@@danieldares2578e takes a big, life altering shit before every weigh in. Shits his guts out

[@hey12358y]

A lot. Du Plessis has 22 fights. Strickland and Brunson 32. Adensanya has like 30 fights apiece in kickboxing and MMA. Fast-rising talents like Nickal get beaten all the time in combat sports by Derek Brusons types who've been tested. Chael should have saved this promo for when Nickal has done some real work.

[@lloyddomke9563]

Strickland isn't a fair way to look, he'd fight a polar bear for the right cheque.

[@josevalledor4116]

Bo needs to start calling fighters out, by their birth names.

[@jakedemaggio8649]

He’s called out Kamzat a bunch of times already… and we saw how kamzat responded to that (hint: crickets 🦗)

[@faleo1044]

I like bo he is a good dude and so far a finisher in the cage

[@AndrewLopez023]

I raised my hand

[@StevieShowcase]

to me, Bo NIckal is on the same track as a former UFC and Penn State wrestler Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis.

[@Ldash0]

I want him to go against a daggy.

[@Santoroz]

Bo vs Khamzat, or Jarred would both be great fights to see.

[@obscurelines]

Beating Bo means 1 of 2 things. 1 who has the tools for a surprise upset, namely devastating striking power or beautiful submission ability. That person is ostensibly worse than Bo, and would lose most times, but would always have a chance of putting a finishing move on him. Or 2. Someone who matches Bo at MMA, can grind with him, hurt him standing, not be overwhelmed etc etc. There are actually only a few of either kind at MW. It is short of devastating fighters and it is short of all round MMA fighters. Interesting.

[@xonious9031]

Bo vs Kopylov is the fight to make. I can't see Bo getting by Roman

[@jaycarson318]

Bo is a beast , can’t wait to see what he does at the higher level of competition

[@samxyx]

Yeah that's what this is all about. There is still so much we don't know about the guy

[@brennus01]

All I know is Bo could be in another organization beating up smash cakes & following the Askren/Alvarez/Gaethe model. Instead he's in the UFC...and the UFC is going out to those other organizations to get Bo opponents for 18 & 18. Bo is making less to fight the same freakin' smash cakes. And nobody gets KOotN for taking down a smash cake. What's the UFC doing for you, Bo?

[@Kink-Panther]

One championship gots very elite fighters what are you talking about you casual

[@jakedemaggio8649]

😂😂😂 Bo is on REALLY GOOD 3 fight contract right now. He’s spoken publicly about this and says he’s getting paid a shitload of money. There’s Rumors of the numbers and what’s been reported as his fight purse shows it’s an extremely good contract, especially for someone just starting out. Not only that but he’s signed extremely lucrative sponsorship deals with comp like Scrap life (they made his own Bo Nickal wrestling shoe addition) and has recently signed a deal with Jake Paul & Betr as a brand ambassador making a bunch of content for Betr with Jake Paul. He’s getting paid and is already a millionaire. The UFC has made him a millionaire already.

[@brennus01]

@@jakedemaggio8649 He's got the same contender contract that they all get. His salary for this fight is publicly available. It's 18/18. End of story.

[@Kink-Panther]

@@brennus01 he's also signed with Betr and his contract was for 3 fights instead of 8. Next contract I just know Bo will be getting a giant increase based on his social traffic .

[@darrelllawrence3369]

I have a theory that chael does the rankings

[@beez6046]

it’s cool how chael will build hype for fighters who ain’t too hot on the mic

[@bigboybigboy1236]

i’d say about most of top 10 can beat him. he is still very new to MMA and middleweight is full of strikers with good takedown defense. once he gets more experience in mma he’s gonna run through most of the MW division

[@timothywoods4329]

Good takedown defense against average at best takedown artist. Middleweight is the division with the least high level grapplers.

[@colecampbell1906]

Not a chance... He may be "new to MMA" on paper, but he's been both wrestling AND boxing his whole life. It really doesn't take that much to transition when you're already an elite grappler AND you have hands. Realistically, he could beat most of the top 10. Personally, I think he'd beat pretty much all of them. I really don't see anyone in the division with the skillset to actually beat him. Izzy got taken down by almost everyone he fought, Bo would definitely keep him there. And Izzy can't worry about defending the takedowns too much or he'll get blasted like this last guy because he can and will catch you if you're too focused on a takedown coming and leaning more forward to protect your legs and if you're NOT doing that, he's gunna snatch a leg and you're fucked.

[@gordonsmith5589]

Wrong

[@brycehouse3544]

So you’re telling me you can sit there with a straight face and say Derek Brunson can beat Bo?

[@jakedemaggio8649]

@@brycehouse3544 I know bro it’s ridiculous. Bo can most likely beat all of them, but he just started mma a year ago, so he needs more experience but the reality is, he’s rapidly improving and the longer people wait to fight him the harder it’ll be to beat him.

[@Jamesfrancosdog]

ANY of the top 10

[@LakeNonaFan]

he beats pereira, cannonier, brunson, dolidze, and hermansson

[@shaungomez6914]

Good question, would like to see him against a top 5 contender. May be Cannonier

[@Hispanicfromanothaplanet]

Chael is on point.

[@claytonjohn6473]

It seems to be a fastlane to some major notoriety if someone mid pack on up could stop Bo. Chael is the master of marketing. He probably knows more proffesional wrestling history than most as well. He was brave enough to do wrestling type callouts and heat only the stakes were fighting for your life.

[@phatman23]

Ikram called him out. They could have given him the chance but they don’t want to give Bo that challenge yet…

[@toastsniffer]

uncle chael needs to get the kids to train for bo just in case he's open.

[@nielbester1786]

DDP - of course 👊

[@ItsameAlex]

all the people you mentioned plus marvin and paulo costa

[@Soplas]

I like bo and hope and think he's gonna get far, but we can't tell yet till he fights tougher competition and ranked opponents he's still very new to mma let's let him grow first.

[@danieldares2578]

Grow into what? He's elite already

[@matthewrobinson9894]

He’s a Beast but Unpolished. His first fight in the UFC he took way to long to get that submission.

[@Pneuma3301]

Id like to see an old school ufc tournament.. no weight classes, no time limit, multiple fights.. let's see who the baddest dude alive is

[@Shrewdy1]

Maybe guys a cut above Contender Series, but we haven't seen that yet

[@ironwillie7666]

We wont know Bo until he fights a top ten opponent. He will always have a fight winning wrestling advantage in the lower rankings.... My gut feeling is that Bo will not bust the top 5 before he hits the wall.

[@xonious9031]

he has had easier fights so far- Kopylov would very likely KO Bo

[@danhutchins3237]

It's not really how rankings work though... he hasn't beaten top ranked guys, so it's hard to put his ranking above them! I think it makes sense to make guys have a few fights before putting them into championship fights... But, if people refuse to fight him...then he's going to have to skip past them somehow...

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

Chael the UFC announced his new opponent at the same time as they said Gore was out, they didn’t even risk a contender calling Bo out on short notice! That tells you everything😊

[@JohnnyHands]

We don't have complete information: what catchweight was UFC offering to these fighters who said no to Bo?

[@clxudygxrly]

Guess we’ll find out IF HE EVER HAS TO FACE A CONTENDER…. If he doesn’t “which he probably won’t” then we’ll never know

[@GBKronos5495]

Complicated question but easy answer. Someone in the top 10!!!!!

[@dlow374]

Bad guy shoe game is dope asf

[@kingofthecasuals]

Khamzat, Izzy, Jared, Sean Strickland, Alex P, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, dricus, Whitaker

[@chrisknickerbocker6878]

Hard to say because he hasn't fought anyone. Give him a top 5 guy already and let's find out. Let him fight the winner of Vittori/Dolidze or Costa/Chimaev. If he gets by that guy let him Cannonier or DuPlesis for the #1 contender, then if he wins that he gets his title shot.

[@xonious9031]

see if he gets through Kopylov.. that would be a heck of a fight

[@joshuajackson1926]

Does anybody know how much it costs for a phone call with Chael?

[@luiscypher9657]

Especially to take a fight on a weeks notice and a 7 fight streak 😮

[@mranonymous1966]

I think fighters are most concerned with picking an opponent that moves them up the rankings toward the title