LAS VEGAS – Michael Chandler believes the sky is the limit for Bo Nickal but says he needs to tone it down on the microphone.
Nickal (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) scored another first-round finish when he submitted Jamie Pickett this past Saturday at UFC 285. Prior to finishing Pickett, the standout wrestler had made some bold claims and called out the likes of Khamzat Chimaev. Chandler believes in Nickal’s talent but suggests his confidence could rub fans the wrong way.
“I think Bo Nickal has an exponential opportunity and exponential growth and exponential potential in this sport,” Chandler said backstage at UFC 285. “I think Bo can do awesome, awesome things. I think Bo will do awesome things. I think Bo has the people behind him, the people around him – he knows how to train. He’s got the talent, and obviously at this point he hasn’t been very shy on the microphone. That would be the second thing I would say: I think it’s a little bit unbecoming to come into the UFC off (Dana White’s) Contender Series and start talking about Khamzat Chimaev and fighting Jon Jones or whoever.
“At some point, you’ve got to just play the game, as well. You’ve got to grow, but grow at the right rate. People see what Conor did, getting on the microphone. People see what these other people have done. I think Bo’s getting a little bit too talky for the average fan’s liking. If it were me or his manager, I’d say, ‘Hey, let’s keep our nose to the grindstone. Let’s knock them down when they put them in front of us.'”
Despite Nickal’s continued dominance, the unbeaten prospect was critical of his UFC debut win, stating that he could have done a lot of things better.
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