Khamzat Chimaev isn’t getting many callouts lately, especially after dominating former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Chimaev was expected to face his toughest challenge yet in Whittaker, a well-rounded Aussie with a karate-wrestling style.
Instead, Chimaev took Whittaker down in the first round and locked in a brutal face crank, flattening Whittaker’s bottom teeth and forcing a quick tap.
As Chimaev eyes his first title shot in 2025, a new middleweight contender believes he can end Chimaev’s dominance.
Bo Nickal Vows to Hand Khamzat Chimaev His First Loss: “You’re Going to Get Tired
Unranked middleweight Bo Nickal is closely eyeing Khamzat Chimaev, confident that he can hand him his first professional loss.
“I think Chimaev’s good, but his biggest flaw in a fight with me is that he’s going to get tired,” Nickal said on his YouTube channel.”
“You’re going to gas out, and I won’t. You’re not taking me down. You’ll have to strike, and I’ll probably take you down. The difference between us is this: I fight with zero emotion. I’m here to win. Chimaev’s fired up, yelling, screaming, but to beat the best, you need to use your brain.”
Before challenging Chimaev, Nickal must break into the middleweight rankings. Though he won, Nickal was booed after his UFC 309 fight with Paul Craig, who was 2-3 in his last five outings but still put up a strong challenge. Prior to that, Nickal struggled with Cody Brundage at UFC 300, who had a 1-4 record recently.
Despite his inactivity, Chimaev boasts wins over two former UFC champions, Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, the “best in the world” fighters Nickal referred to in his video.
Chimaev’s Next Move: Title Shot or Super Fight with Alex Pereira?
Chimaev is awaiting his middleweight title shot, which will be decided in the rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland at UFC 312. Chimaev could wait for a title shot in 2025 or take another fight, risking his leverage in the process.
One intriguing possibility is a super fight with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. UFC CEO Dana White hinted at a surprise matchup in December, though details are still unclear. Dana White teased it’s a fight fans “Will never see coming.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
