Robert Whittaker: Bo Nickal has 'some work to do' before he's ready for top-10 fights
Bo Nickal’s UFC 300 performance did not impress former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Nickal (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) entered a second round for the first time in his career when he submitted Cody Brundage in Saturday’s UFC 300 main card opener at T-Mobile Arena. Brundage showed some resistance early, but Nickal’s grappling and pace ultimately were too much.
Based off that win, Whittaker doesn’t think Nickal is ready for the upper echelon of the division just yet.
“I think we saw some potential holes in Bo Nickal’s game,” Whittaker said on his “MMArcade” podcast. “Bo Nickal finally got a guy that he couldn’t just do what he wanted with. Cody Brundage isn’t like the best fighter in the world.
“I think Bo Nickal did fine vs. a dude that could kind of wrestle, kind of strike, and he didn’t look as good as he has previously because he’s been running through shoe-ins for him. It is what it is. I think he’s got some work to do before he’s ready to fight top-10 dudes.”
However, despite the criticism from some, Nickal is ready to test himself against ranked opposition. After finishing Brundage, the standout wrestler called out No. 12 Anthony Hernandez, who is currently scheduled to face Roman Dolidze at UFC 302 on June 1.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.