The inaugural UFC event in Saudi Arabia hit a turbulence that no one saw coming. Headliner Khamzat Chimaev pulled out due to a serious ailment. As such, Robert Whittaker needed a new dance partner. Considering the risky short-notice matchup, only Ikram Aliskerov stepped up to save the day. However, one highly-touted prospect recently came clean about the UFC offering the main event matchup.
The prospect is none other than college wrestling standout Bo Nickal. On his podcast, Nickal admitted to UFC officials contacting him to step up on short notice. Unfortunately for everyone, Nickal took a break from the daily grind to reside in the mountains of Montana. The lack of proper cell service in the mountain area meant he couldn’t contact the UFC brass on time.
I did get a call. Unfortunately, I got the call while I was in the mountains of Montana, and I didn’t get back into cell service for three days. I came back into cell service to a few text messages saying, ‘Call me back, call me back,’ and it was too late.
Bo Nickal via Nickals and Dime podcast #43
Moreover, Nickal admitted he couldn’t have considered the matchup as the UFC went with a replacement after the wrestler took a long time to respond. When it came to the monetary offer, Nickal admitted it was huge. As such, bad cell reception took a big opportunity away from Nickal. Whittaker vs. Nickal remains a compelling matchup that will prove if the NCAA national champion can compete with the best in MMA.
‘The Reaper‘ remains a huge step up in competition. As such, the UFC made the right decision not to book Whittaker vs. Nickal. The NCAA national champion should receive a step up in competition for his next fight. However, it should not be against a former champion of the division. Despite not landing the fight, Nickal gave a surprising prediction for the upcoming main event fight at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Bo Nickal picks Ikram Aliskerov to upset Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia
Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov happened so fast that most of the MMA community didn’t see it coming. They were more worried about Conor McGregor potentially pulling out of UFC 303. Now that Aliskerov has replaced Chimaev, many MMA experts have made their predictions. The lack of preparation time for fighting five rounds might negatively affect Aliskerov.
Bo Nickal predicts Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov (via Imago/Instagram)The Dagestani fighter does have knockout power and decent wrestling to trouble the former middleweight champion. As such, Bo Nickal has picked Aliskerov to upset Whittaker in the inaugural event in Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, Nickal admitted Aliskerov’s cardio must hold up to pull off the upset.
I think it should be a good fight. I think Ikram would probably win. I don’t know, it depends on how ready he is and stuff. I just think, style-wise, Ikram will probably win.  Â
Bo Nickal via Nickal and Dimes podcast #43
Dagestani fighters have shown incredible resilience and cardio in the UFC. However, the lack of preparation time could affect Aliskerov. Meanwhile, Whittaker has prepared a long time for a much more dangerous fight in Khamzat Chimaev. It remains to be seen how the sudden switch-up in the opponent will affect Whittaker. Moreover, it is anyone’s guess as to who emerges victorious in the fight.
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