Bo Nickal, despite securing victory at UFC 309, found himself under fire from critics who expected more from the highly-touted prospect. While Nickal won the fight against Paul Craig experts weren’t quite impressed with his game plan and the fans in the arena even chanted ‘Overrated’. Questions arose about how he might fare against elite middleweights who can neutralize his wrestling game.

Critics even pointed out moments where his stand-up appeared raw, suggesting that his rapid rise may be outpacing his overall development. Nonetheless, Nickal remains a formidable talent, with time to refine his skills and silence the doubters in future bouts. The 28-year-old has now issued a warning for his next upcoming opponents.

Bo Nickal promises to take down the next opponent he faces inside the Octagon

Bo Nickal has quickly established himself as one of the most electrifying prospects in the UFC, thanks to his world-class wrestling skills. A three-time NCAA Division I national champion and former Dan Hodge Trophy winner, Nickal’s transition to MMA was met with high expectations. He has delivered on most of them in spectacular fashion and is unbeaten in the UFC at the moment. His wrestling foundation has become his biggest weapon, allowing him to dominate opponents with an intensity and precision rarely seen in the octagon.

However, this was not the case when he met ‘Bear Jew’ at Madison Square Garden. The veteran fighter is one of the most skillful grapplers in the division. It seems Nickal was worried about the reputation and wanted to use a new game plan for his opponent. While he did face a lot of criticism, the 28-year-old seemed very happy with his performance. However, he is far from satisfied and while speaking to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo gave details about his future plans.

Nickal made it clear that he will definitely use his wrestling in his upcoming matches. He said, “I want to keep dominating. Yeah, I… look, you know, at my potential for matchups in the future. And with Paul Craig, it’s like his best position’s off his back. So you know I didn’t think it was the best situation to put him in his best position.” He then pointed out how he would not go down in his next fights and said, “I’m not going to say zero because crazy things happen I could slip on a banana peel or something. Very low chance that they’re taking me down. And if they do I’m getting up guaranteed.”

One of Nickal’s biggest critics was former dual-champion Daniel Cormier. ‘DC’ made some comments that did not go well with the undefeated fighter about him not being on the same level as Khamzat Chimaev. However, the 45-year-old in his recent video made it clear as to what he actually meant with his comments.

Daniel Cormier clears the air surrounding his comments on Bo Nickal

As one of the sport’s most respected analysts, Cormier praised Nickal’s dominance in the Octagon but also provided constructive criticism, underscoring areas where the young star could improve. However, his comments did not go well with the young fighter. But it seems Cormier had no intentions of hurting the sentiments of Nickal. The former dual-champion is only concerned with whom he might want to face next in the UFC. According to ‘DC’, Nickal is one of the most talented fighters in the division, but he doesn’t want him to hurry in picking in next opponents.

He took to his YouTube to share his honest opinion on what he actually meant to say. Comparing Nickal’s last three opponents, ‘DC’ pointed out that there has been a massive jump in the quality of the fighters. With Nickal wanting to take on ‘Borz’ next, Cormier wants him to wait just a little bit longer. During the video, he said, “He may have misunderstood what I am trying to say. What I was more trying to say in this fight is that let’s not rush him into fights with people that are much more experienced.” He further pointed out how he doesn’t want Nickal to be one of those wasted talents in the UFC and just be smart in his decisions.

Despite such advice, Nickal’s potential is undeniable. His wrestling gives him a foundation upon which to build a championship-level career. With time and continued development in striking and submission grappling, Nickal has the tools to become one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. So who should he face next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.