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Chael Sonnen applauded Dana White's decision not to sign Bo Nickal despite the collegiate wrestling standout's win over Zack Borrego in DWCS Season 6. White did not offer Nickal a contract, claiming 'The Allen Assassin' needed to pass one more test on DWCS before joining the UFC.
According to Sonnen, White has not signed Nickal yet because he cares about the fighter. 'The American Gangster' believes that the true job of a promoter is to make his fighter grow rather than offer big money. The former UFC middleweight hailed White's decision as one of the best moves in DWCS history. The 45-year-old said on his YouTube channel:
"What Dana White did for Bo Nickal last night is why you trust a guy with your career in the first place. It was one of the great moves of the Contender Series. It was extremely responsible because I saw what Dana saw. I see a world champion there, at some point."
"Don't forget what promote means. People think promote means I'm on a billboard. People think promote means I'm on Times Square. Promote just means to elevate...Bo Nickal is now elevated."
Watch Sonnen's YouTube video below:
Sonnen also noted that the 2-0 fighter was barely even tested in his win over Borrega at DWCS. While 'The American Gangster' sees the makings of a champion in Nickal, he agrees with White's decision to put him through another test.
Bo Nickal weighs in on not getting UFC contract
Bo Nickal was a -3500 favorite going into his DWCS Season 6, Week 3 feature fight against Zack Borrego. The three-time NCAA division 1 wrestler justified the odds, scoring a smooth takedown early in the fight. 'The Allen Assassin' almost had Borrego in a guillotine against the cage before transitioning to a rear-naked choke to secure the finish at 62 seconds of the opening frame.
However, Nickal was not offered a UFC contract and signed a developmental deal with the promotion. Interestingly, the Dan Hodge trophy winner is seemingly unbothered about his contract snub.
Nickal has his eyes set on bigger goals than just being signed to the UFC. For now, 'The Allen Assassin' is eager to compete as soon as he can. Nickal said during the post-fight scrum:
“I’m here to be UFC champ [and] be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. So I’m 2-0. I’ve had a total of a minute-and-a-half of professional MMA competition, so let’s get another one in there. I don’t really care if it’s on Contender Series, in the UFC, whatever. I just want to fight.”
Watch Nickal's appearance at the post-fight presser below:
