News Bo Nickal calls Khamzat's wrestling 'trash': 'I wouldn't even say mid'

[rjmbrd]

“It’s trash,” Nickal said i. This comment along with a few others along the way could use humility. Bo qualified as barely mid level which was ok. I did not watch all of Bo’s commentary so perhaps he over did it just this time. Bo is not a professional commentator either so he can misspeak like most folks do on occasion. Of course Bo a much more accomplished wrestler can evaluate Khamzat wrestling he has seen.

So we are on the same page - Bo is talking about reviewing footage of Khamzat wrestling in Sweden, against low level / local competition who are also very young guys.

In context, Khamzat does not have much in the way of world class technique or experience and his wrestling looks unimpressive. I really don't see this as controversial at all, unless you were expecting Bo to lie about it.

MMA grappling is another animal and he has repeatedly given Khamzat praise for his accomplishments there.

 

[Here's Johnny!]

Weird to see the UFC go the Bellator route and hype a 3-0 or 4-0 wrestler with practically no MMA experience. Will be interesting to see if he can rise or if he will be another Aaron Pico type.

Aaron Pico is still only 26 ... but I guess you can't teach a chin... he has good striking and wrestling... but dude can't take a hit... sad really.

 

[shh]

He talks waaaaay to much for someone who has done jack shit in MMA.

He is going that Francis "The Ford Escort" Ngannou route. He is going to have a rude awakening.

 

[Elvis.]

I hope these two end up having an epic confrontation at some point , feels like it’s destined to happen but you never know

 

[-Sideways-]

Trash that has seen him dominate almost everyone he's fought so far. Shut up Bo and fight some real competition.

 

[ImNotMirsadBektic]

Sigh this again. Sambo is wrestling plus judo, MMA is fought in a cage where you can pin your opponent against the fence and attempt judo trips/throws that the (American) wrestler is likely very unfamiliar with. In a cage sambo will always beat wrestling, maybe in a Karate Combat pit the wrestler would stand a better chance.

 

[Jarvan]

Nickal talks a whole lot of shit.

We'll see how he does.

I think Khamzat is going to walk through Costa.

Costa struggled with Luke and wasnt able to finish him.

A 3 time d1 champ knows a thing or two about making honest assessments. It's outlandish, for sure, but i think he earned the right to give his opinion.

I personally think he's being arrogant... Partially because he's instigating

 

[Normot]

Sigh this again. Sambo is wrestling plus judo, MMA is fought in a cage where you can pin your opponent against the fence and attempt judo trips/throws that the (American) wrestler is likely very unfamiliar with. In a cage sambo will always beat wrestling, maybe in a Karate Combat pit the wrestler would stand a better chance.

The American wrestler who wrestled internationally knows trips and throws. He's dealt with foreign freestyle wrestlers who use "judo" style throws. Also Khamzat isn't a Sambo guy. He is a freestyle wrestler. He had 4 Combat Sambo matches. A different sport that is often done in place of amature fights. Its not like he came up through the Combat Sambo system.. its that if there is a combat sambo tourny in your area and your an MMA fighter you might participate.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

Sigh this again. Sambo is wrestling plus judo, MMA is fought in a cage where you can pin your opponent against the fence and attempt judo trips/throws that the (American) wrestler is likely very unfamiliar with. In a cage sambo will always beat wrestling, maybe in a Karate Combat pit the wrestler would stand a better chance.

Yes if you're Khabib or Islam, but Khamzat does not have their background at all, he's a wrestler first and foremost.

 

[mjfan23]

Bo is the guy who ufc has only given complete freebie fights all his career. Let’s have him fight someone remotely close to being competent at a high level before he gets to call out the elite.

also that nickname: Dagestani killer slayer or whatever and the constant talks about Khamzat, smh. I know you are clout chasing. Why don’t you just pull a Darren till and pretend to have a bromance with him for views too?

 

[LoveMyMMA]

Khamzat would literally toss Bo out of the octagon.

 

[OmegaRugal]

Weird to see the UFC go the Bellator route and hype a 3-0 or 4-0 wrestler with practically no MMA experience. Will be interesting to see if he can rise or if he will be another Aaron Pico type.

Is it the UFC or is it that Bo runs his mouth (wisely imo) whenever he gets a mic so that people talk about him thus raising his stock?

 

[93confirmed]

Hopefully this happens on UFC 300. Khaz beats Costa and then Israel. Meanwhile Bo beats a few top 15s - Craig, Roman, etc.

 

[Sticko]

Sure, cause he was so successful at tds vs a former 155lb fighter.

Khamzat didn't want to take Burns down because Burns is a BJJ champion. The thing about wrestling is it lets you dictate where the fight takes place.

 

[NewLockGuy]

I bet Bo cries in the ring Cormier style after his first loss. Guy is completely delusional just a few fights into his career.

 

[SG123]

Luke is a tough out for anyone if you don’t chin him early, no shame in Costa winning a decision against a former champ

No shame in the win, but he didn’t look good

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

Penn State > Sweden

The point is Sweden isn't trash and khamzat isn't "not a wrestler"

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Weird to see the UFC go the Bellator route and hype a 3-0 or 4-0 wrestler with practically no MMA experience. Will be interesting to see if he can rise or if he will be another Aaron Pico type.

Bo is crushing cans - Aaron jumped right in to fighting legitimate threats.

 

[Aurelian]

The point is Sweden isn't trash and khamzat isn't "not a wrestler"

Well I mean Bo is allowed and qualified to criticize Khamzat's wrestling though. If Bo says it's mid it's worth noting. This is just freestyle wrestling though, mma grappling is different.

 

[NoStoneUnturned]

It's a rude thing for him to say.
Also, if he moves from confident to cocky, then he will be humbled.

His analysis is correct., rude or not. In America most every kid played some measure of baseball, football, soccer, or basketball. Very very very few Americans, even within the MMA fan base, have ever wrestled, trained in BJJ, boxed, kickboxed, etc. If a person never wrestled its hard to grasp how another man, your own size or smaller, can hold you down and barely break a sweat. The MMA fan base at large is delusional. Bo lacks tact and I suppose he might be rude but he isn't wrong. I'll give you an example, my son is in college and he had wrestled from around the age of eight. His IG had some photos with his wrestling teammates at various tournaments from across the country. At the dorm one night he is with a group of guys watching a UFC event and my son's roommate says hey this kid (my son) wrestled in high school and was supposedly good. You can guess what happened next, my son said he had to wrestle a whole bunch of dudes who were convinced they could simply get up or that he couldn't take them down. None got up, all went down. MMA fans by and large are delusional.