Henry Cejudo: '100 percent, I can see Bo Nickal easily taking down Khamzat Chimaev'

Henry Cejudo says Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling is no match for Bo Nickal.

Nickal (3-0), who earned a UFC deal in his second shot at Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday, is one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory.

The NCAA Division I wrestler is not short on confidence either. Nickal called out unbeaten contender Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), and although Dana White told him to slow his roll, Olympic gold medalist wrestler Cejudo thinks Nickal has the advantage in grappling.

“Bo Nickal says, ‘I want the Swedish princess, I want the guy that didn’t make weight. That’s the guy that I want.’ I just hope he shows up. It just shows his confidence,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel.

“Chimaev thinks he’s good in wrestling – his wrestling is nowhere near Bo Nickal, I can tell you that. He can take down these UFC guys that have never wrestled. Try taking Bo Nickal down, and 100 percent I can see Bo Nickal easily taking down Khamzat Chimaev.”

Cejudo has dubbed Nickal as a future champion. Even though he advised him to take his time, he went as far as saying that he could dethrone UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya now if they fought.

“For those who don’t think Bo Nickal is the real deal, I’m going to tell you guys right now, as an Olympic champ, as a two-division champion, I don’t even wanna say prospect no more, I think it’s just pinning whenever this guy actually becomes champion at 185 pounds,” Cejudo said. “I think if you’re able to put him against Israel Adesanya now, just according to styles, Bo Nickal beats him. He puts him to his back, controls his wrists, grapples the heck out of him, and that’s all she wrote.”