“He can play into my game plan” - Hot new middleweight prospect calls out Bo Nickal for high-stakes UFC showdown

Paul Craig called out Bo Nickal after his first middleweight win at UFC London.

On Saturday, July 22, Craig officially left the light heavyweight division to pursue his championship aspirations at 185 pounds. ‘Bearjew’ put the division on notice with an impressive second-round TKO against number fourteen-ranked Andre Muniz.

During the UFC London post-show on ESPN, Craig already had a name in mind for his next fight, which was transcribed by MMA Fighting:

“As a middleweight? I kind of like Bo Nickal as a fight. Nobody wants to fight him. But then if he takes me down, he better be good at passing guard, because I’m very good at retaining guard. He’s a name. He’s a name and he can play into my game plan, where he gets in tight, takes me down, and it just fits me better."

Bo Nickal made his UFC debut in March after winning one regional bout and two appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series. On March 4, the three-time Division 1 nation champion collegiate wrestler submitted Jamie Pickett to make a statement. Four months later, he knocked out Val Woodburn in 38 seconds at UFC 290.

Although Nickal isn’t ready for a title fight, he’s shown enough potential to shy off some of the UFC middleweight division. With that said, Craig has the experience and skill set that gives him confidence in the intriguing matchup against the Penn State alum.

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Paul Craig explains how he could counter Bo Nickal's wrestling

Bo Nickal is a world-class grappler who has recently shown improvements in his striking. As a result, most middleweights don’t seem interested in fighting him until there’s a ranking next to his name. During the UFC London post-show on ESPN, Paul Craig explained why he could counter Nickal's wrestling:

“That’s one of the things we knew Andre Muniz would do. He would take us down into guard, and that’s where I do my best work. If he puts me down on my back, then I’m able to scramble, look for these triangles, look for these armbars.”

After Nickal’s last win on July 8, Dana White claimed he’s in no rush to put him against top contenders. Therefore, the matchup against Craig might not be next, but the stylistic comparison would be intriguing to see in the future.