Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal, someone?
After UFC 319 last weekend, the MMA world continues to wonder who can stop the new, unbeaten middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
Many thought that Chimaev's cardio champion Drus Du Plessis would uncover in his first title fight, but the South African was eventually surpassed for five rounds. Chimaev won via a unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44).
There are a few contenders in the middleweight division that can be the next for the 15-0 Chimaev.
While discussing stylistic matchups for Chimaev, a former title -Utterdager called a top grinder in Bo Nickal.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Chael Sonnen on Khamzat Chimaev: 'I really want to see him go with Bo Nickal'
On good good guy / bad guy, Chael Sonnen was asked who he would bet to beat Chimaev.
Nickal was one of the names that came to mind for the former UFC title title.
“I love the idea of Caio [Borralho] Getting that chance, “Sonen started.
“I don't want to continue on my usual way of rejecting Imavov. When Imavov came to Izzy, he got a brand new look from me.
“But if you just let me throw a name at you, I mean, listen, not for nothing, I really want to see him go with Bo Nickal,” Sonen said about potential challengers for Chimaev.
'That's just personal [me].
“I understand that. We are not there,” Sonen said about Nickal fighting Chimaev.
“I like that idea …”
Nickal (7-1) is a former triple NCAA Division I champion in collegial wrestling. The 29-year-old suffered his first loss at UFC des Moines when he was by Tko'ed by top candidate Reinier de Ridder.
Chael Sonnen took the biggest title threat for Khamzat Chimaev
In a potential title -Eliminator, the aforementioned Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho fight each other in the main event of UFC Paris on 6 September on 6 September.
Consider how the new Chimaev champion wants to return instead of later, this leaves other contenders a greater chance of fighting for the title.
'I am not negative [Anthony] “Fluffy” Hernandez, “Sonen said about opponents for Chimaev.
“But the one who could offer the biggest threat of what we have seen in the past, and that will be the knight,” Sonen added.
Reinier de Ridder is a former two -division champion in one championship and comes from a five -round decision gain at former champion Robert Whittaker in July. The 34-year-old is known for its wrestling.
“One thing that Chimaev, and one of the reasons why his fight with Gilbert Burns was so fun and so unusual is that he respected Gilbert's ground game so much that he was not in a hurry to get him there the way he was against Dricus on Saturday.
“I only offer you that the ridder's ground game is respected in the same way. He is a great Jiu-Jitsu player, but specifically from the soil.
“So I love RDR now,” Sonen said.