UFC fighters often dote on or criticize others for their martial arts skills. A great example of this criticism comes from none other than the undefeated UFC sensation Bo Nickal. He isn’t impressed at all with the Dagestani fighter Islam Makhachev‘s wrestling pedigree.
Many in the lightweight division fear Makhachev’s wrestling. Only Arman Tsarukyan and Alexander Volkanovski (first fight) successfully defended it. Now, the former NCAA Division I wrestling champion gave a less-than-glowing review of the lightweight king’s grappling skills. This came ahead of Makhachev’s UFC 302 title defense against Dustin Poirier.
His wrestling is not like Khabib [Nurmagomedov]’s. Khabib has much better wrestling in my opinion overall, but he’s got tricky, sneaky stuff…I think his striking is maybe a little better than Khabib’s, a little sharper…it’s okay. It’s better than average. It’s not like world-class wrestling, but it’s good.
Bo NIckal via Nickals and Dimes Podcast
To be fair, Nickal admitted he hadn’t studied extensive film on the Dagestani wrestler. But his initial assessment was that Makhachev’s wrestling doesn’t measure up to his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s.
It’s worth noting that Nickal has been brutally honest in appraising other elite grapplers, too. He repeatedly downplayed Khamzat Chimaev‘s wrestling before a potential future clash. So his Makhachev take isn’t just callous trash talk.
Nickal is coming off a second-round submission win over Cody Brundage at UFC 300. Nickal’s blunt words have certainly raised the stakes for Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. A smothering wrestling performance against Poirier would go a long way in silencing doubters like the confident Nickal.
Bo Nickal showers praise on Khabib Nurmagomedov
Bo Nickal is an authority in the world of elite wrestling. The undefeated UFC middleweight contender commands respect with his elite wrestling pedigree. So when Nickal praises another fighter’s mat skills, it carries significant weight. According to the former NCAA national champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov stands out as the UFC’s premier wrestling force.
Bo Nickal praises Khabib Nurmagomedov (via Yahoo Sports/ MMA Fighting) Nickal was interviewed on the OVERDOGS podcast. He was asked about the best wrestlers in the UFC. Nickal stated many names, like Chael Sonnen, Randy Couture, and Georges St-Pierre, but put Nurmagomedov’s name on the top.
You’ve got to definitely look at Khabib. I mean, it’s without a doubt that he was the most wrestling-centric kind of fighter who had the most success [in the UFC].
Bo Nickal via Overdogs Podcast
The 28-year-old phenom highlighted Nurmagomedov’s incredible grappling prowess. After all, “The Eagle” used his smothering wrestling game to go an unfathomable 29-0 in MMA before retiring. Very few, fighters relied so heavily on wrestling skills to achieve championship greatness.
