Khamzat Chimaev isn't getting many callouts these days, especially after mauling former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308.
Chimaev faced his most formidable challenge yet when he took on Whittaker, an Australian all-rounder with a karate wrestling background.
Instead, he took Whittaker down in the opening frame and applied a face crank so vicious that it flattened Whittaker's bottom row of teeth, forcing a quick tap.
As Chimaev prepares for his first title shot in 2025, he meets another middleweight contender who believes he can end his reign of terror.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Bo Nickal makes bold predictions for a possible fight against Khamzat Chimaev
Unranked middleweight prospect Bo Nickal is hot on Chimaev's heels and believes he has what it takes to hand Chimaev his first professional defeat.
'I think so [Chimaev’s] Fine… but his biggest thing that's going to crush him in a fight against me is, dude, you're gonna get tired,” Nickal admitted on his YouTube channel.
'You are [going to gas out, and I won’t]. You're not going to take me down… you're going to have to hit me. I can probably take you down. … Here is the difference between Khamzat and me. [When I go out to fight]zero emotion. I'm in, I'm here to win. He, he's charged, he's screaming, he's screaming… But guess what? If you want to fight and beat the guys who are the best in the world, you have to do it with your mind. “
Before the Penn State wrestler can consider fighting Chimaev, he must first break through the middleweight rankings. Despite his victory, Nickal was booed against Paul Craig at UFC 309.
Sentiment for Nickal waned since Craig was 2-3 in his last five fights and putting up a good challenge. Before that, Nickal wrestled Cody Brundage at UFC 300, who was arguably 1-4 in his last few fights.
Despite being plagued by inactivity, Chimaev owns wins over two former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, the “best in the world” fighters Nickal refers to in his video.
Who is Khamzat Chimaev fighting next?
Chimaev waits in the wings as the middleweight crown is contested in a rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland at UFC 312. In the meantime, 'Borz' can wait for his title shot, which will take place in mid-to-late 2025, or risk his influence on a new fight.
One option for Chimaev is a superfight with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. UFC CEO Dana White teased a surprise fight in December. While details remain under wraps, White stressed it's a fight “you'll never see f***** coming.”
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