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Bo Nickal's highly anticipated UFC debut took place earlier this month, in which he faced Jamie Pickett and emerged victorious via submission in the first round. However, the bout caused a stir due to a questionable move by Nickal, who was seen striking Pickett in the genital area before being knocked down himself.
Despite Pickett's announcement of an appeal, it is unlikely that any action will be taken
. Michael Chandler, a veteran in the UFC, offered Nickal some words of advice regarding his behavior both inside and outside of the cage.Chandler recognizes the immense potential that Nickal possesses and believes that he has the talent to achieve great things in the sport. However, Chandler expressed his concern with Nickal's tendency to talk too much, particularly regarding his aspirations to fight Khamzat Chimaev and Jon Jones.
Chandler's Advice: Keep Your Nose to the Grindstone
"I think Bo Nickal has an exponential opportunity and exponential growth and exponential potential in this sport," Chandler stated at UFC 285. "I think Bo can do awesome, awesome things.
I think Bo will do awesome things. 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 The Contender Series and start talking about Khamzat Chimaev and fighting Jon Jones or whoever.
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.’”
Nickal Responds to Chandler's Comments with Gratitude
Nickal responded to Chandler's critique with appreciation, acknowledging the wisdom in his words.
In an interview with The MMA Hour reports MMA Fighting, Nickal stated, "Thank you – I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that statement. I think Michael Chandler is a fan of me. I think Michael Chandler wants me to win.
First off he said my potential is exponential. So let’s listen to what he’s actually saying. He’s talking about it in the perspective of the fans. If I say, ‘Yo, give me Khamzat, I’ll violate this guy,’ 99 percent of MMA fans are going to say, ‘Bo Nickal is an idiot.’ They don’t know what they’re talking about.
That’s the perspective I think Chandler is taking, especially when I hear you read the quote, he’s not hating on me at all. He’s not even a guy that I don’t think would do that, because he’s always been cool to me.
He’s always been nice to me. He’s a wrestler”. Henry Cejudo, another experienced fighter, also advised Nickal to keep his feet on the ground and to focus on the task at hand. Cejudo stated that Nickal needs six more fights before he can face a ranked opponent, and it remains to be seen whether he will heed the advice of his veteran colleagues.