Chael Sonnen wasn't happy with Bo Nickal's performance at UFC 309 and believes his team is primarily responsible for his slow win.
Most of the viewing audience was not positive about Bo Nickal's unanimous decision to defeat Paul Craig at UFC 309. When the official decision was read out in the Octagon, the crowd showered Nickal with boos after another stunning performance.
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Despite going 7-0 in his MMA career, former collegiate wrestling superstar Nickal has been the target of many critics after UFC 309. He opted to take a striking first approach against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu CEO Craig, which resulted in a less entertaining match. than most expected.
Nickal is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in recent UFC history, but his last show rubbed many fight fans the wrong way. His meteoric rise hit a speed bump before potential high-profile fights landed on Nickal's radar.
One of the most entertaining personalities in combat sports, Sonnen used his Nickal fandom to criticize the former NCAA Division I national champion's company.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Chael Sonnen hits the road for Bo Nickal and his team after a sluggish win at UFC 309
In a recent analysis on his YouTube channel, Sonnen questioned Nickal's team for adopting an unorthodox game plan at UFC 309.
“My problem with it and my complaint is that you have a four-time world champion…who doesn't wrestle a damn piece because someone got him. One of his trainers or his training partners sat him down and said, “You're not ready to hit the ground running with that guy.” Well, how the [f***] would we know? How in the [f***] Would we know that now?” Sonnen said of Nickal's UFC 309 victory.
“That's nothing Bo has ever done,” Sonnen continued. “He didn't show Gabe Dean that respect, he didn't show Miles Martin that respect, he didn't show David Taylor that respect and he refuses to beat, a four-time world champion refuses to wrestle even a little bit against a guy who's never had a wrestling match . That is because of someone from his familiar environment.” (h/t MMANews)
At his UFC 309 post-fight press conference, Nickal dismissed his critics and called his win over Craig important for his development in MMA.
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Dana White plans to 'slow down' Bo Nickal after back-to-back mediocre outings
After watching Nickal's performance, UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged that Nickal “needs work” before challenging himself against the best middleweights. He revealed recent conversations with the top prospect in which he implored Nickal to tame his lofty ambitions.
Nickal has won four straight fights in the UFC Octagon since back-to-back wins on Dana White's Contender Series earned him a contract. Before UFC 309, he last defeated Cody Brundage by second-round submission at UFC 300, his first exposure to hardline fight fans who booed his approach.
Nickal is only a handful of fights into his UFC career, and before his promotional signing, he only fought once on the regional stage. His MMA debut lasted 33 seconds and two months later he was offered a shot in the UFC through DWCS.
Nickal's UFC 309 performance shows he still has a long way to go before he challenges Khamzat Chimaev for his self-proclaimed dream fight. Meanwhile, as he looks ahead to 2025, Nickal's praise of Sonnen is starting to become scarce.
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