Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal has gradually changed his tone when it comes to Khamzat Chimaev. The former three-time NCAA Division I champion once claimed that he would “rag-doll” the undefeated juggernaut. However, it seems that Chimaev has since earned Nickal’s respect. The Penn State Alum explained his shift in perspective in November 2024 following Chimaev’s win over Robert Whittaker last year: “So when I call out guys like Khamzat, that’s because I think that he’s really good and I wanna fight the best guys.”

During a recent interview, the less experienced 185fer heaped praise on Chimaev yet again, who’s on the verge of getting a title shot. Having proven his mettle inside the Octagon as a welterweight and a middleweight, ‘Borz’ is certainly now on Nickal’s radar, since the Penn State Alum is always looking to secure the toughest challenges. However, it may take a while. Even if Chimaev goes on to win the middleweight title in the near future, Nickal isn’t sure that he will be getting his hands on the 14-0 star soon.

Nickal believes in earning his way to the top, and he’ll look to take another big step up the ladder when he faces former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder in a high-stakes showdown at UFC on ESPN 67. Determined to preserve his unbeaten record, Nickal knows the road to greatness is paved with tough challenges. As for a future clash with Chimaev, Nickal assures fans that when that moment comes, it will be worth the wait — and he promises they won’t leave disappointed.

“He’s a guy that I look at with a lot of respect, and he’s proven himself. Competed against the best in the world and won,” Bo Nickal told ‘MMA Junkie’. “The only way we’re gonna get matched up is if I continue to do the same thing and prove myself. So, I think that’ll be an exciting fight for the fans. “I’ve got a little ways to go before then, but we’ll make it work.”

Despite the change in tune over the last few months, Bo Nickal is still confident that when he’s ready to fight Khamzat Chimaev, he can give the 14-0 star a run for his money. Not only that, but he also seems to have a game plan in mind. Here’s what he had to say!

Bo Nickal plans to ‘tire’ Khamzat Chimaev out

Khamzat Chimaev tends to push as hard as he can during the early stages of his fights. He’s been successful in most instances, but when it comes to fights that go the distance, he’s shown a bit of a lack of endurance. Bo Nickal has made that observation in ‘Borz’s fights against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, which were both decision wins, but he would show some fatigue during the closing stages of the fights.

On that note, Nickal simply plans to out-wrestle Khamzat Chimaev, claiming that the Chechnya-born star’s own tactics would turn out to be his demise. “I think that he’s good, he’s got skills, but his biggest thing that’s going to crush him, especially [in] the fight against me, is, dude, you’re going to get tired. You’re going to [fall down energy-wise], and I’m going to go [up] as the fight goes on,” Bo Nickal stated earlier in January on his YouTube channel.

Well, Bo Nickal will fight his second opponent, who’s ranked in the middleweight division, on April 27 when he locks horns with Reinier de Ridder. But in the meantime, let us know how long you reckon it will take for us to see him take on Khamzat Chimaev. Drop your comments below.