News Bo Nickal was offered to step in to face Robert Whittaker in the main event; including a nice bump in pay. He explains why he couldn't take the fight

[MMAProfessional]

he was never going to take that fight lets be real

Right? He's been open about not wanting to rush his career. He's getting pretty slow step ups in competition so I highly doubt he would jump to the top MW on short notice. I guess he didn't really say he was going to take it anyway. I'm still not completly sold on Bo. Hopefully he gets a top 15 fighter next.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I wanted to see them go slow(er) with Bo... but it seems like he's about to take a giant step up in competition. I think he's ready for some ranked guys, but it's a shame that they're not taking more time with him.

Theyll do anything to fill a headliner slot, even ruin guys careers and just toss them a little extra cashola. Bo should be further along than Picketts, Brundages and landscape workers who train out of rural strip malls than now...his career has been a joke and he talks so much ginger shit. He also needs to be more active.

He will get a very easy fight like Viera for his next bout.

 

[Superior]

Bobby would have retired him.

Horrible fight for Nickal

 

[ryun253]

throwback, lol used to bump the instrumental version of this back in the day haha

 

[CC27]

Wouldnt have been a smart booking, dont think he's ready for that. Bo's either one more win and then a top 15 guy or a back of top 15 guy next, someone like Curtis.

 

[chinarice]

Looks like he didn't Bolieve!

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Not to take the fight

 

[Tweak896]

Bo doesn't think he's ready for top tier, I don't blame him about not taking it. I mean he's been saying it for awhile he wants to develop. Atleast he's honest which is more than most fighters.

 

[MrBlackheart]

Guy talks so much shit about beating every top fighters but when the time comes, he didn’t have signals to his cell phone? Give me a break.

 

[TheMadHatter]

Whitaker is a big step up from Brundage. I think they want to slow play Bo's career. I believe he has even said something along these lines. No way he was taking Whitaker on short notice.

 

[blaseblase]

If Bo Nickal wins his next fight, then Chimaev should have to face him when he returns.

So that neither of them will have a win against a ranked middleweight. Lol get the fuck out of here with that.

 

[BangBang]

…because he’d lose lol

 

[Pharenheit]

“As soon as I saw Khamzat was out, I dropped everything - including my phone - and went and hid in the mountains for three days.”

Yeah this is a crock of shit. Whittaker would end him

 

[moosaev]

Bo is getting tiresome. Dude will be fighting cans for the next 3 years.

 

[JoeRowe]

I don't buy this at all. They've been playing his career safe. Why would they have had him fight a no name on the biggest card of the year and then offer him one of the top contenders a few months later? Makes no sense. If he's supposedly ready to fight Whittaker they would have given him a much bigger fight last time out.

Desperate times call for desperate measures & Bo undoubtedly has one of the biggest names at MW. It's not at all implausible.

 

[Howard Moon]

If Bo Nickal wins his next fight, then Chimaev should have to face him when he returns.

They can fight for the BMF (big mouthed fucker) belt.

 

[Mike Hagger]

9 days notice after a 3 day hunt and a long international travel to Saudi to face a top 5 guy… who has probably been on site for a while preparing. That is realistically a lot to ask of someone who wasn’t a previously known back up. Plus the dude has what, 6 fights ever? The smart move is not taking that fight under those circumstances.

 

[blaseblase]

Desperate times call for desperate measures & Bo undoubtedly has one of the biggest names at MW. It's not at all implausible.

No he doesn't.

 

[ElLunico]

Bo would’ve ragdolled him

Lol Bo reminds me Lesnar. Dominant wrestler but doesn't react well to getting hit. Whitakker would have shown him there's levels.

 

[don't ask]

Good call, Whittaker would've ended good career before it even got started

I wanted to see them go slow(er) with Bo... but it seems like he's about to take a giant step up in competition. I think he's ready for some ranked guys, but it's a shame that they're not taking more time with him.

Right? He's been open about not wanting to rush his career. He's getting pretty slow step ups in competition so I highly doubt he would jump to the top MW on short notice. I guess he didn't really say he was going to take it anyway. I'm still not completly sold on Bo. Hopefully he gets a top 15 fighter next.

Whitaker is a big step up from Brundage. I think they want to slow play Bo's career. I believe he has even said something along these lines. No way he was taking Whitaker on short notice.

I just wanted to say i agree with these posts. I'd rather see fighters developed properly instead of rushing and getting derailed, like Aaron Pico and Khamzat.