@@jamesbrannon6112fans always say that but when there’s actually a good striker with takedown defense they still get smothered by another wrestler lmao 😂😂🤣
@ you figured Bo would take the opportunity to test his skills last night he didn’t now when he gets in a situation where he can’t wrestle against a decent striker he’s going to be in trouble he doesn’t believe in his skills
He seems like an athlete, not a fighter. He doesn't react well to getting hit. It almost looked like he didn't want to be there yesterday. The commentators saying 'he's a fighter, he used to get into fights with his friends as a child and got in trouble with his parents' really wasn't selling me on his desire to actually be in a cage fight.
I laughed when the commentary said that. How are they not aware theres a difference in getting in a scrap at a family BBQ at 14 years old & professionally fighting in the UFC
If he's not a fighter, how did he win that fight 3-0 in rounds and is 4-0 in the UFC?? Is he elite? No But he's only 7 fights into his MMA career, plus it's not his fault he's such a heavy favorite in every fight.
Very true. Look at Khamzat as an example. He doesn't care what your foundation as a fighter is. He's going to go out there and play to his strengths every time.
@@6em974 He was younger at that time and now he becomes stronger in grappling and more confident ! But Bo nickal grapples gordon rayan.. you know what it means i think? When Bo made statements like " no one has my grappling..." Today Khamzat has no fear to go to the ground against any fighter because he becomes a monster at grappling.. Yeah Khamzat was dominant but he never said that he was a monster on the ground.. Before Burn he feared Marko Kisič'grappling and he avoided to grapple him.. but today it would not be the case.
I agree. Bo lacked confidence which is crazy since he is probably the best wrestler in the UFC right now. He was less timid against Gordon Ryan for Gods sake. Why did he act that way against Craig.
Over promise and under deliver. Guy needs to learn some humility and self-awareness. Paul Craig is one-dimensional over 35 and gets finished a lot. Chimaev would have walked through him.
What makes me most concerned for Nickal’s career is actually his speech about how boring fights make champions, you don’t see those champions proudly admitting that shit
@@VTWS He said that after the fight... When he was in lots of podcasts, his speach was completely different " Chimaev's wrestling is shit... I am the best wrestler and grappler in ufc... I will be the best fighter in history.. i think that whitakker was.. i think that DPP is..". When you did shit and you are humiliated after wining, you have no choice.. you must recognise what every fan declares..
To be fair, Paul Craig only fights top fighters, he’s beaten some very good opponents, he lost to some, but is always very dangerous. If Craig had upped his activity by not much at all really he could have won. Nickel need work…
I've been saying this that Bo can't beat Chimaev since Chimaev first came into the UFC. I've been saying it then, I'll continue to say it now: Bo Nickal's wrestling will never beat Chimaev's wrestling. Chimaev now is training with Olympic wrestling champions from Dagestan so he'll continue to evolve. Bo is cooked.
This Olympic champion, Zhamalov, is Chechen, like the legendary wrestling figures and his trainers, the Saitiev brothers. Not every fighter or wrestler from the Caucasus Mountains whose name ends with -ev or -ov is Dagestani.
I think a big problem for Bo that was on full display was his lack of tools on the feet. He has a straight to the body and an overhand, thats it. He needs a deeper bag of skills on the feet whether that be clinch striking, more diverse attacks or combinations ect
Definitely Bo just has fairly average striking skills . He has nothing in his standup arsenal that will pose a threat to top modern strikers. He does have decent power but his speed is average .. if he becomes champion it will be through his grappling .. shocker I know
@@Cander617so little MMA experience? 7 pro fights. Perreira was destroying by 7 pro fights. Title in 8th fight. If Bo is a as good as they come, compare to Perreira.
This is exactly what I was complaining about last night. You can’t abandon the one thing that got you to where you’re at. Nobody signed you to the ufc bc of your striking. The greatest don’t completely change their game plans based on who they’re fighting. It’s an immaturity and he didn’t do it in wrestling.
@@milaninter2442 it depends of the damages... a guy like khabib would be young even at 40 years because he didn't take so damage. It's not about age only but damage.
@@yopyop8175 Fighters like Oliveira/Poirier/Gaetjhe are in their mid 30's and have taken more damage than most throughout their careers and they still look pretty damn good to me. 29 to me is still about 6-7 years away from being old in the UFC.
People talked shit when I said just a few days ago that brundage exposed nickal and here we are. The entire Madison square garden crowd chanted overrated, which was the first time in ufc history
So True and i believe it. Bo did very well against Brundage no doubt about it but his wrestling was so bad against him.. i mean from à 3 4X champion wrestling, that was absolutely not so amazing.. The fact is Bo is a good fighter but What Chimaev tasted à little bit againt Burns (number 2 at that time !).. Bo Nickal drunk and ate it so so much today
@@tjfromreno he did look small but honestly last nights poor performance was not a size issued at all. I think he could’ve taken the fight to the ground just fine. Last night was a mindset issue
Too slow for khamzat. Both fighters in last night's fight just looked like they were reacting off each other. Khamzat comes with a plan. Even if you know what it is, he's so fast he's still gonna run it on you.
@@bzbzzbzvzvz8087 His plan is to get his opponent off their feet as fast as possible and gain control over them. Then smash. He's like the only fighter who won multiple different times without being hit once.
Dude - Bo would be a better UFC fighter & make 20x more money if he had Chael in his corner. Guys fight as a job. To make money. Why don’t they listen to Chael. The man who got the most high profile fights simply by talking. - Real question.
A win is a win, but he definitely showed a lot of room for improvement. Thats ok though, it's pretty fortunate to be able to see the things you need to work on without taking a loss in the process.
I’m not a Bo hater but the fights are gonna continue to keep getting harder for him and the amount of improvement he needs to work on is a lot. I fear he’s gonna be another Darren till
I'm not sure that he didn't shoot a take down out of not being ready to go to the ground with Craig. It's possible, but I think there's a few other very possible options. 1.) They just felt it was the path of least resistance, so why not take it? 2.) He wanted a finish on the feet, and felt like this was a good opponent to get that 3.) He needs work on the feet, and again felt like this is a great opponent/opportunity to get some REAL striking experience under the bright lights, in a real fight with real consequences
The path of least resistance would be getting a takedown & smothering Craig. Because, you know, he's a champion wrestler fighting a guy known for having NO takedown defence. Instead he had a close stand up fight. Close as in he won each round, but each round was competitive. He's supposed to be a champion wrestler, it's crazy that anyone would think his clunky, awkward, poor timed striking is the "path of least resistance".
The size difference alone would have slightly negated Bo’s wrestling. Not to mention he’s a black belt in jujitsu. I think it was a smart move on Bo’s team to not try and force wrestling. It was probably a back up plan had the exchanges in the feet been going the other way, but their game plan was working so they stuck to it.
Could not agree more this time with Cheal, chad, chris...whatever the ruck is his real name. Controversial guy, sure, But he's smart. I LOVED this video. No one in the world should beat Bo....unless they take him out of his game.
No one loves being hit and hurt by puinches and kicks. The reality is that bo was scared by Paul's grappling... Don't forget that the step after wrestling is grappling and if bo took him down but get dominated on the groud,, it would be so bad for him and for his hype..
I get what you’re saying, Chael, but I actually think that what happened was Bo actually placed a restriction on himself that he couldn’t shoot to take down, even DC mentioned that he saw Bo almost instinctively about to shoot a takedown, but he resisted, I don’t think Bo was afraid to take it to the ground, I think he did what he did so he’s able to say to himself, he can win without even using wrestling at all, and I think that can just be about proving something for himself, and another rung on the ladder
I agree. More than proving something to himself too, people don’t realize how much more confident you become in a skill when you’re able to use it in a live setting vs just using it in practice. Anybody whose trained combat sports and is decent would know that if you’re facing somebody that doesn’t really stand a chance against you, you’ll get more out of the experience by using skills you don’t normally use rather than just creaming the person. Bo was in no danger of losing, so why not use this as an excuse to sharpen his striking in a live environment?
I would agree with this too. That said, I’m still wondering if like Chael said, someone was in Bo’s ear telling him that his Jits wasn’t not good enough to match Craig on the ground. Perhaps Bo was playing the odds in his head and thought he’d rather go with a boring kickboxing match instead of getting tapped on the ground, which would have made him look even worse.
Only thing we really learned from this fight is that Bo's improvement rate is not abnormally above average like many suggested. And that's not criticism, he's still a fighter with lots of potential, he's still someone who can become a great champion in the future. It just won't happen in record time.
Hey get outta here with that reasonable take. This is the MMA fan base we're talking to, we wanna hear hyperbole and opinions stated as fact! And call someone a casual, that always helps too!
his mindset is a projection of how he's going to perform, if he doesn't make some drastic change in his camp, coaches or himself he's going to continue being mediocre and his prime is going to fly right past him and when he feels ready for a championship he'll be too old lol there's no such thing as "easy fights" after a certain level and he seems content on being where he is not a good thing at all for him to be thinking.
Khamzat : Explosive high pace wrestling + elite grappling + good stand up Bo : Lame wrestling + lame grappling + Mr Bean's stand up. Don't come and say Bo is Penn national state champion kinda shit lol stFu he got thrown away by Brundage like a pile of garbage 😂 He couldn't even qualify to Olympics while Khamzat couldn't get to Olympic because document issues and he has been destroying Olympic wrestler from his country. Khamzat will literally do something that humankind has never witnessed to Bo if the fight inside the octagon 😂😂
I see the other side If Bo can, in his 7th fight, put his best skills on the bench, and sweep a guy 30-27 across the board, who has 17 wins, that speaks highly of his future. He's not gonna be able to maul every man he enters The Octagon with. This isn't an ego contest, it's a prize fight. He won the fight. Onto the next one....
I don't get Chael on this take. Chael did what Chael does against Anderson Silva and how did that turn out for him. He stays safe on his feet for the last minute he is a world champion.
I felt the exact same way. Is he fighting to win, or fighting to become a legend. 50-0 mayweather. Nobody like. Manny Pacquiao, don’t know his record off my head, but most respect boxer in his generation.
I have no idea why he went on the mic after going to decision with Paul Craig and compared himself to the Mount Rushmore of the sport. Plus he went from encouraging the boos to making a heart symbol for the crowd. He should go full heel, but I think he cares too much about being liked
You are so right Chael.... very boring fight.... Bo looked scared and out of his element because he didn't bring the best part of his game with him to the fight.
Totally disagree with this take. Fighting Paul Craig is the perfect, not to mention the smartest, opportunity for Bo to test and improve the level of his striking in a real MMA fight. This fight only made him a more well-rounded martial artist, which is what he needs to become if he wants to be a champion. Not everything is about winning in dominating fashion, especially for a guy like a Bo who is new to the sport. People forget that he is literally learning on the job, and from that standpoint, it really was the perfect fight for Bo.
If Craig had more output, he would have won. I think he was baiting him with the front leg. Probably drilled a choke off a single leg attempt. Bo looks SUPER uncomfortable on the feet. Yes, he's had a couple of KOs, but this fight showed more. His kicks are just silly. Doesn't really deal with getting hit that well. Just throw stuff hoping it works. I think if he fights a better striker he's getting slept. Great wrestler. Love watching his Penn St matches. Learn a lot just by watching his wrestling career. I have concerns about MMA though.
Apparently Bo didn't wanna risk getting submitted. There's a reason Craig kept throwing so many kicks after realizing Bo wasn't interested in trying to take him down.
You could see Bo thinking the entire fight. Not fighting, he was tense and calculating, not relaxed and flowing. I think this was precisely because he was actively suppressing his wrestling. It probably sounded like a good game plan to strike the whole fight, it was clear after 30 seconds it was not.
I was thinking the same thing. The reason he was able to land on him is also because he’s a better athlete, so what made them think he couldn’t take him down???
Lo Blow Bo did have to face a larger opponent and that was difficult. I never saw Khamzat have to but then Khamzat is probably bigger. If Bo's lack of dominance helps him get the next fight I think that is fantastic...
I've never once came out and said that bo was most likely overrated. I've just always had a strong feeling but dident really know enough about him. But afyer that fight I think it might be safe to say that is the case. Definitely a step up in competition but the hype was to overwhelming for that to matter. He has his next fight to convince me otherwise but until then I'm convinced amd feel comfortable enough actually saying it.
Gotta disagree a bit here, GSP always tailored his attack against his specific opponent. It might not have been what was expected, for example against JK, but it was fight specific every time.
It was a bad decision by his team to work ONLY on stand up. Craig is also very bad a takedown defense and Bo should have worked on some trips and takedowns. Even could have taken him down let him back up rinse and repeat. And for Bo not to throw a 3 punch combo on a guy that doesn’t move his head and retreats straight back, it really makes question either his coaching or his execution.
Bo being pushed too fast? It was his 7th pro MMA fight. Perreira was dominating by his 7th pro MMA fight. Was Perreira pushed too fast into winning the belt in his 8th MMA fight?
@@jasonwebb6484 what are you on about? Pereira is a glory kickboxing double champion, he had all the striking foundation. Bo is a wrestler with no striking experience, his transition to MMA wasn't that seemless. Also, when I say he's pushed too fast, I don't mean competition, but rather his star value (he fought on the main card of 300 and 309 ffs)
@@user-sw5wn8go3k Perreira’s a world class kick-boxer with no wresting or BJJ foundation. Bo’s a world class wrestler but no striking foundation. And I bet Bo’s striking is better than Perreira’s wrestling. This ain’t kickboxing. Or wrestling. Level playing field.
I disagree, what does bill belicheck do as the greatest coach, winner, and defensive mind ever in football? He takes away the opponents best thing and says, if you can beat me with the rest I’ll live by that, but I’ll never let you beat me with your best tool I don’t love this for bo, but I do think he was able to show his mindset is win driven, his next opponent has nothing to see of what he’s been labbing, he still wrestles with the college guys If bo is able to overcome this and be on big cards with an undefeated streak, won’t we be glad he didn’t get stuck in a triangle?
Honestly Bo just needs to be comfortable standing 6” closer and he’ll be tough to beat. If you’re going to fight that far out you need to blitz in with 3 or 4 punch combos. But I’d rather see dirty boxing Bo.
I could care less what someone works on at the beginning of the journey What matters is his skill set at the peak of his career The only way to get better at striking is to get those minutes in Props to Bo for looking at the long term benefits rather than the short term Thankfully Bo won’t be striking like Askren ten years from now
Uncle Chael, have somebody from ESPN show you how to turn the quality up on that camera. I haven't watched 720p since the last time you were in the octagon. I should be able to see if you're exfoliating
Sorry but as a wrestling big follower I can't accept that you say he is a world champion, because you know what a world champion is. Sadulaev. Snyder. That american tournament is an american tournament, it's nothing like the world championships.
Bo knuckle duck, is not ready for reality…. He said it was awesome having the entire crowd, saying BOOOOOOO!!!!! At the same time for that long….. He’s somthing special.
Bo is a great wrestler but this is MMA and he needs to improve a lot of things, he can't beat anybody in the top 5 right now. However, he is still young and he's very smart and he knows what he can improve
One rises to the occasion. Paul Craig wasn't that occasion. Nickal did the right thing not taking risks; no different during NCAA championships. A win is a win; lose one and you're done.
I thought Bo could beat Hazmat. But seeing how flat footed he was, and impatient with his setups. And all he did was spamming an overhand. After being a full time fighter for a couple years.. I dunno man..
Craig looked physically much bigger than Bo. He just didn't even attempt to try to wrestle. Was it out of fear? Doubt? Inner circle giving him the wrong game plan? We won't know. But we do know he isn't ready for Khamzat at all. The skill and confidence gap is just insane.
Homeboy got the “Ronda” mindset pushed on him. Someone actually convinced him he could kickbox. Happened to Damian Maia also. Wasted huge chunks of his career trying to kickbox with guys instead of just strangling them.
He has been promoted as American Khamzat. But he’s nothing like him. That guy have completely different mindset. A real fighter. Bo is just a very good wrestler trying to learn how to fight
![DC & RC react to Jose Aldo’s retirement and speak with Bo NIckal [FULL SHOW] | ESPN MMA](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vRi5eYObG_c/mqdefault.jpg)
![DC & RC react to Jose Aldo’s retirement and speak with Bo NIckal [FULL SHOW] | ESPN MMA](/img/tr.png)
jockofuel.com/ is now available at Walmart. Save 30% with promo CHAEL
I believe if he runs into a good striker with good takedown defense it’s going to be a crime scene
Chimaev?
@@nickkemp4979 man Bo wouldn’t last the first round vs khamzat
@@jamesbrannon6112fans always say that but when there’s actually a good striker with takedown defense they still get smothered by another wrestler lmao 😂😂🤣
@ you figured Bo would take the opportunity to test his skills last night he didn’t now when he gets in a situation where he can’t wrestle against a decent striker he’s going to be in trouble he doesn’t believe in his skills
@@jamesbrannon6112just “good takedown defense” isnt enough lol, bo is a national champion wrestler.
He seems like an athlete, not a fighter. He doesn't react well to getting hit. It almost looked like he didn't want to be there yesterday. The commentators saying 'he's a fighter, he used to get into fights with his friends as a child and got in trouble with his parents' really wasn't selling me on his desire to actually be in a cage fight.
I laughed when the commentary said that. How are they not aware theres a difference in getting in a scrap at a family BBQ at 14 years old & professionally fighting in the UFC
If he's not a fighter, how did he win that fight 3-0 in rounds and is 4-0 in the UFC?? Is he elite? No But he's only 7 fights into his MMA career, plus it's not his fault he's such a heavy favorite in every fight.
Very true. Look at Khamzat as an example. He doesn't care what your foundation as a fighter is. He's going to go out there and play to his strengths every time.
……..Until formed BJJ world champ Gilbert almost armbarred him round 1. The he suddenly started striking.
@@6em974 He was younger at that time and now he becomes stronger in grappling and more confident !
But Bo nickal grapples gordon rayan.. you know what it means i think? When Bo made statements like " no one has my grappling..."
Today Khamzat has no fear to go to the ground against any fighter because he becomes a monster at grappling..
Yeah Khamzat was dominant but he never said that he was a monster on the ground.. Before Burn he feared Marko Kisič'grappling and he avoided to grapple him.. but today it would not be the case.
@@6em974 u cant compare gilbert bjj with paul craig 😂
I agree. Bo lacked confidence which is crazy since he is probably the best wrestler in the UFC right now.
He was less timid against Gordon Ryan for Gods sake. Why did he act that way against Craig.
Except with the goat gm3 had khamzat too scared to even try and shoot
Over promise and under deliver. Guy needs to learn some humility and self-awareness. Paul Craig is one-dimensional over 35 and gets finished a lot. Chimaev would have walked through him.
What makes me most concerned for Nickal’s career is actually his speech about how boring fights make champions, you don’t see those champions proudly admitting that shit
@@VTWS He said that after the fight... When he was in lots of podcasts, his speach was completely different " Chimaev's wrestling is shit... I am the best wrestler and grappler in ufc... I will be the best fighter in history.. i think that whitakker was.. i think that DPP is..".
When you did shit and you are humiliated after wining, you have no choice.. you must recognise what every fan declares..
You realize you're on chael sonnens channel right? Chael is what you just said.
To be fair, Paul Craig only fights top fighters, he’s beaten some very good opponents, he lost to some, but is always very dangerous. If Craig had upped his activity by not much at all really he could have won. Nickel need work…
@@VTWSno is not afraid to be boring gauging from
Last nights fight was. That is both bad and good
Appreciate Chael for calling it like it is on Bo and his coaches. I didn’t think Chael would be this brutally honest.
he only goes hard publicly on people he actually cares about
Says the guy that has 12 submission losses and lost the biggest fight of his life due to a submission in the final frame😆
@@muki6261wdym he’s undefeated
I've been saying this that Bo can't beat Chimaev since Chimaev first came into the UFC. I've been saying it then, I'll continue to say it now: Bo Nickal's wrestling will never beat Chimaev's wrestling. Chimaev now is training with Olympic wrestling champions from Dagestan so he'll continue to evolve. Bo is cooked.
Good for you buddy. You must be proud of yourself for saying it for so long. Keep it up man we’re all proud of you lol
Haters gonna hate.
Sus
Bo wresting is garbage tbh
This Olympic champion, Zhamalov, is Chechen, like the legendary wrestling figures and his trainers, the Saitiev brothers.
Not every fighter or wrestler from the Caucasus Mountains whose name ends with -ev or -ov is Dagestani.
If khamzat didn't have so much bullshit around him, he would have already been a champion.
Probably in two divisions too lol
Bo probably knows....
I see what u did there😅😅😅
.....how to get beat by a decent mid fighter.
I think a big problem for Bo that was on full display was his lack of tools on the feet. He has a straight to the body and an overhand, thats it. He needs a deeper bag of skills on the feet whether that be clinch striking, more diverse attacks or combinations ect
He’s 2 years in
Definitely Bo just has fairly average striking skills . He has nothing in his standup arsenal that will pose a threat to top modern strikers. He does have decent power but his speed is average .. if he becomes champion it will be through his grappling .. shocker I know
Man is overrated as they come. He should never mention Khamzats name ever again in his life 😂
you a bum
The dudes as good as they come with so little MMA experience. He's not even 30, and he's undefeated.
Smarten up
Um he's a national champion wrestler from Penn state how is that overrated?
@@Cander617so little MMA experience? 7 pro fights. Perreira was destroying by 7 pro fights. Title in 8th fight. If Bo is a as good as they come, compare to Perreira.
Khamzat will wreck him
This is exactly what I was complaining about last night. You can’t abandon the one thing that got you to where you’re at. Nobody signed you to the ufc bc of your striking. The greatest don’t completely change their game plans based on who they’re fighting. It’s an immaturity and he didn’t do it in wrestling.
Bo NyQuil
😂
🔥🔥🔥
hahahahahahahaha
Yeah last nights fight was snooze tastic
Bo also needs a better soundbite than "I'm gonna be champ because my parents, coaches and friends told me so."
Bo is turning 29 in January, he isnt some young prospect neither...
and don't forget that the frequency of fight in mma is 3 per year (max). So 2 or 3 others fights before the top 10 he will be 30 years old..
In UFC terms he's still incredibly young imo
@@milaninter2442 it depends of the damages... a guy like khabib would be young even at 40 years because he didn't take so damage. It's not about age only but damage.
@@yopyop8175 Fighters like Oliveira/Poirier/Gaetjhe are in their mid 30's and have taken more damage than most throughout their careers and they still look pretty damn good to me. 29 to me is still about 6-7 years away from being old in the UFC.
@@milaninter2442I agree he's young as an MMA fighter.
People talked shit when I said just a few days ago that brundage exposed nickal and here we are. The entire Madison square garden crowd chanted overrated, which was the first time in ufc history
So True and i believe it. Bo did very well against Brundage no doubt about it but his wrestling was so bad against him.. i mean from à 3 4X champion wrestling, that was absolutely not so amazing..
The fact is Bo is a good fighter but What Chimaev tasted à little bit againt Burns (number 2 at that time !).. Bo Nickal drunk and ate it so so much today
Wellllllll I mean brundage still didn't expose nickal, Craig may have.
im stil;l waiting for bo to lose at the end of the day he's wining
He literally had his best showing and d riders jump on him after beating a non UFC fighter. Literally a guy off the street.
Bo looks like Welterweight would be an easy cut. I’d say that’s the move.
Just posted this same take. He can bully in WW actually use his wrestling.
@@tjfromreno he did look small but honestly last nights poor performance was not a size issued at all. I think he could’ve taken the fight to the ground just fine. Last night was a mindset issue
Too slow for khamzat. Both fighters in last night's fight just looked like they were reacting off each other. Khamzat comes with a plan. Even if you know what it is, he's so fast he's still gonna run it on you.
You right in a way but khamzat have no plan , he just goes there and smashes you
@@bzbzzbzvzvz8087 His plan is to get his opponent off their feet as fast as possible and gain control over them. Then smash. He's like the only fighter who won multiple different times without being hit once.
Dude - Bo would be a better UFC fighter & make 20x more money if he had Chael in his corner.
Guys fight as a job. To make money. Why don’t they listen to Chael. The man who got the most high profile fights simply by talking.
- Real question.
A win is a win, but he definitely showed a lot of room for improvement. Thats ok though, it's pretty fortunate to be able to see the things you need to work on without taking a loss in the process.
The only reasonable take I’ve seen on this fight so far haha
Wise words being quoted
Bro. Bo didn't shoot a single takedown. He wanted to use his striking, he could have changed levels and started dominating the fight at any time.
Cool that he’s getting experience on main cards of UFC’s biggest PPV’s.
I’m not a Bo hater but the fights are gonna continue to keep getting harder for him and the amount of improvement he needs to work on is a lot. I fear he’s gonna be another Darren till
I'm not sure that he didn't shoot a take down out of not being ready to go to the ground with Craig. It's possible, but I think there's a few other very possible options.
1.) They just felt it was the path of least resistance, so why not take it?
2.) He wanted a finish on the feet, and felt like this was a good opponent to get that
3.) He needs work on the feet, and again felt like this is a great opponent/opportunity to get some REAL striking experience under the bright lights, in a real fight with real consequences
The path of least resistance would be getting a takedown & smothering Craig. Because, you know, he's a champion wrestler fighting a guy known for having NO takedown defence. Instead he had a close stand up fight. Close as in he won each round, but each round was competitive. He's supposed to be a champion wrestler, it's crazy that anyone would think his clunky, awkward, poor timed striking is the "path of least resistance".
@@RsSlayDDP has entered the chat!
The size difference alone would have slightly negated Bo’s wrestling. Not to mention he’s a black belt in jujitsu. I think it was a smart move on Bo’s team to not try and force wrestling. It was probably a back up plan had the exchanges in the feet been going the other way, but their game plan was working so they stuck to it.
It looked like he wanted to win a striking match imo. Just to test himself.
What are you talking about? Caio is calling Bo since day one and UFC keep protecting him. Craig is not even an average striker.
Could not agree more this time with Cheal, chad, chris...whatever the ruck is his real name. Controversial guy, sure, But he's smart. I LOVED this video. No one in the world should beat Bo....unless they take him out of his game.
Chael has an agenda sometimes and does not pander to the audience but he actually knows how the UFC works
@@VTWS not sure I follow you? saying he is wrong?
I feel like he really just wanted to test himself on the feet. He's green in that regard.
No one loves being hit and hurt by puinches and kicks. The reality is that bo was scared by Paul's grappling... Don't forget that the step after wrestling is grappling and if bo took him down but get dominated on the groud,, it would be so bad for him and for his hype..
BO Pickles will never be TOP 15 💯
Bo nickel needs to stop talking bout him and khamzat in the same breath...
I get what you’re saying, Chael, but I actually think that what happened was Bo actually placed a restriction on himself that he couldn’t shoot to take down, even DC mentioned that he saw Bo almost instinctively about to shoot a takedown, but he resisted, I don’t think Bo was afraid to take it to the ground, I think he did what he did so he’s able to say to himself, he can win without even using wrestling at all, and I think that can just be about proving something for himself, and another rung on the ladder
I agree. More than proving something to himself too, people don’t realize how much more confident you become in a skill when you’re able to use it in a live setting vs just using it in practice. Anybody whose trained combat sports and is decent would know that if you’re facing somebody that doesn’t really stand a chance against you, you’ll get more out of the experience by using skills you don’t normally use rather than just creaming the person. Bo was in no danger of losing, so why not use this as an excuse to sharpen his striking in a live environment?
I would agree with this too. That said, I’m still wondering if like Chael said, someone was in Bo’s ear telling him that his Jits wasn’t not good enough to match Craig on the ground. Perhaps Bo was playing the odds in his head and thought he’d rather go with a boring kickboxing match instead of getting tapped on the ground, which would have made him look even worse.
He didn’t shoot cus Craig had a knee ready every time and Bo was scared shitless and almost got clipped every time
Only thing we really learned from this fight is that Bo's improvement rate is not abnormally above average like many suggested. And that's not criticism, he's still a fighter with lots of potential, he's still someone who can become a great champion in the future. It just won't happen in record time.
😂 no common sense allowed buddy
Hey get outta here with that reasonable take. This is the MMA fan base we're talking to, we wanna hear hyperbole and opinions stated as fact! And call someone a casual, that always helps too!
his mindset is a projection of how he's going to perform, if he doesn't make some drastic change in his camp, coaches or himself he's going to continue being mediocre and his prime is going to fly right past him and when he feels ready for a championship he'll be too old lol there's no such thing as "easy fights" after a certain level and he seems content on being where he is not a good thing at all for him to be thinking.
Khamzat : Explosive high pace wrestling + elite grappling + good stand up
Bo : Lame wrestling + lame grappling + Mr Bean's stand up.
Don't come and say Bo is Penn national state champion kinda shit lol stFu he got thrown away by Brundage like a pile of garbage 😂
He couldn't even qualify to Olympics while Khamzat couldn't get to Olympic because document issues and he has been destroying Olympic wrestler from his country. Khamzat will literally do something that humankind has never witnessed to Bo if the fight inside the octagon 😂😂
I see the other side
If Bo can, in his 7th fight, put his best skills on the bench, and sweep a guy 30-27 across the board, who has 17 wins, that speaks highly of his future. He's not gonna be able to maul every man he enters The Octagon with. This isn't an ego contest, it's a prize fight. He won the fight. Onto the next one....
Soo true. That was Uncle Chael calling out Bo's coaches as much as he was calling out Bo. Needed to be said.
I don't get Chael on this take. Chael did what Chael does against Anderson Silva and how did that turn out for him. He stays safe on his feet for the last minute he is a world champion.
27 is not a boy. The bad guy was already kicking asses. Undefeated.
Chael was identical to Bo. Literal hype train.
I want to see Jared Cannonier next maybe
I felt the exact same way. Is he fighting to win, or fighting to become a legend. 50-0 mayweather. Nobody like. Manny Pacquiao, don’t know his record off my head, but most respect boxer in his generation.
I have no idea why he went on the mic after going to decision with Paul Craig and compared himself to the Mount Rushmore of the sport. Plus he went from encouraging the boos to making a heart symbol for the crowd. He should go full heel, but I think he cares too much about being liked
You are so right Chael.... very boring fight.... Bo looked scared and out of his element because he didn't bring the best part of his game with him to the fight.
Some of us been saying he isn't ready for Chimaev. Anyone in the top 5 eats Bo
Dudes arrogance is so unlikable, but he’s also completely delusional about his skill set.
The fact Aspinall said "no one has asked him THAT question" is the reason we need you here 🙏
Glad chael come out and said it
It has to be said
I was screaming at my TV “Turn heel Bo?! Turn heel! Let the crowd have it” 😂
Totally disagree with this take. Fighting Paul Craig is the perfect, not to mention the smartest, opportunity for Bo to test and improve the level of his striking in a real MMA fight. This fight only made him a more well-rounded martial artist, which is what he needs to become if he wants to be a champion. Not everything is about winning in dominating fashion, especially for a guy like a Bo who is new to the sport. People forget that he is literally learning on the job, and from that standpoint, it really was the perfect fight for Bo.
If Craig had more output, he would have won. I think he was baiting him with the front leg. Probably drilled a choke off a single leg attempt. Bo looks SUPER uncomfortable on the feet. Yes, he's had a couple of KOs, but this fight showed more. His kicks are just silly. Doesn't really deal with getting hit that well. Just throw stuff hoping it works. I think if he fights a better striker he's getting slept. Great wrestler. Love watching his Penn St matches. Learn a lot just by watching his wrestling career. I have concerns about MMA though.
Apparently Bo didn't wanna risk getting submitted. There's a reason Craig kept throwing so many kicks after realizing Bo wasn't interested in trying to take him down.
Maybe Bo wanted more stand up experience... Before getting in with an elite stricker.? Just a guess.
@ 3:54 GSP did avoid grappling with a dangerous submission artist, Jake Shields.
Laughable
You could see Bo thinking the entire fight. Not fighting, he was tense and calculating, not relaxed and flowing. I think this was precisely because he was actively suppressing his wrestling. It probably sounded like a good game plan to strike the whole fight, it was clear after 30 seconds it was not.
I was thinking the same thing.
The reason he was able to land on him is also because he’s a better athlete, so what made them think he couldn’t take him down???
Bo looked scared of Craig. He is no where near top 15 rn
Lo Blow Bo did have to face a larger opponent and that was difficult. I never saw Khamzat have to but then Khamzat is probably bigger. If Bo's lack of dominance helps him get the next fight I think that is fantastic...
I've never once came out and said that bo was most likely overrated. I've just always had a strong feeling but dident really know enough about him. But afyer that fight I think it might be safe to say that is the case. Definitely a step up in competition but the hype was to overwhelming for that to matter. He has his next fight to convince me otherwise but until then I'm convinced amd feel comfortable enough actually saying it.
Gotta disagree a bit here, GSP always tailored his attack against his specific opponent. It might not have been what was expected, for example against JK, but it was fight specific every time.
Yeap you’re right Chael. Good points
It was a bad decision by his team to work ONLY on stand up. Craig is also very bad a takedown defense and Bo should have worked on some trips and takedowns. Even could have taken him down let him back up rinse and repeat. And for Bo not to throw a 3 punch combo on a guy that doesn’t move his head and retreats straight back, it really makes question either his coaching or his execution.
The guy made excuses with a win 😂. And said he dominated like we all didn’t watch the same fight.
He's being pushed too fast. If he had this same performance against Paul Craig in the prelims not a lot of fans would criticize him for it
fans criticism dont fucking mean shit lmfao
I hadn't thought about that before but I think you're exactly right. He's got high expectations now being a main card fighter.
Bo being pushed too fast? It was his 7th pro MMA fight. Perreira was dominating by his 7th pro MMA fight. Was Perreira pushed too fast into winning the belt in his 8th MMA fight?
@@jasonwebb6484 what are you on about? Pereira is a glory kickboxing double champion, he had all the striking foundation. Bo is a wrestler with no striking experience, his transition to MMA wasn't that seemless. Also, when I say he's pushed too fast, I don't mean competition, but rather his star value (he fought on the main card of 300 and 309 ffs)
@@user-sw5wn8go3k Perreira’s a world class kick-boxer with no wresting or BJJ foundation. Bo’s a world class wrestler but no striking foundation. And I bet Bo’s striking is better than Perreira’s wrestling. This ain’t kickboxing. Or wrestling. Level playing field.
I disagree, what does bill belicheck do as the greatest coach, winner, and defensive mind ever in football?
He takes away the opponents best thing and says, if you can beat me with the rest I’ll live by that, but I’ll never let you beat me with your best tool
I don’t love this for bo, but I do think he was able to show his mindset is win driven, his next opponent has nothing to see of what he’s been labbing, he still wrestles with the college guys
If bo is able to overcome this and be on big cards with an undefeated streak, won’t we be glad he didn’t get stuck in a triangle?
Nobody is! He WILL NEVER BE CHAMP… I can say this confidently…
Well, that means a lot coming from you. With all your accolades and respect in the fight game. Hey, everyone. Gucciserg is confident 😂😂
@@Cander617thank you Cander! It’s great to see you are aware and can acknowledge greatness when seen! God bless! 🙏🏼
Honestly Bo just needs to be comfortable standing 6” closer and he’ll be tough to beat. If you’re going to fight that far out you need to blitz in with 3 or 4 punch combos. But I’d rather see dirty boxing Bo.
Khamzat is too intense for Bo
I agree - all Paul Craig had to do was be a little more active. Dude just danced and watched Bo.
I could care less what someone works on at the beginning of the journey
What matters is his skill set at the peak of his career
The only way to get better at striking is to get those minutes in
Props to Bo for looking at the long term benefits rather than the short term
Thankfully Bo won’t be striking like Askren ten years from now
Uncle Chael, have somebody from ESPN show you how to turn the quality up on that camera. I haven't watched 720p since the last time you were in the octagon. I should be able to see if you're exfoliating
Sorry but as a wrestling big follower I can't accept that you say he is a world champion, because you know what a world champion is. Sadulaev. Snyder. That american tournament is an american tournament, it's nothing like the world championships.
1:06
That last line got you a thumbs up, Shale👍
Bo knuckle duck, is not ready for reality…. He said it was awesome having the entire crowd, saying BOOOOOOO!!!!! At the same time for that long…..
He’s somthing special.
Khamzat said it best, he is not a fighter yet.
Bo is a great wrestler but this is MMA and he needs to improve a lot of things, he can't beat anybody in the top 5 right now. However, he is still young and he's very smart and he knows what he can improve
Comparing himself to DJ, Jon, and Khabib post fight was wild 😂
This was the equivalent of Khamzat vs Burns where Khamzat respected Burns’ ground game too much. Bo passed this test without taking much damage.
One rises to the occasion. Paul Craig wasn't that occasion. Nickal did the right thing not taking risks; no different during NCAA championships. A win is a win; lose one and you're done.
That 0 in the loss column is a big deal. That seems to be what Nickel was defending.
This dude has BEEN overrated/overhyped. There’s people in the contender series that show more promise
Gilbert had to stop Khamzat from taking him down and this is not a similar situation unfortunately
GSP did that against Jake Shields he avoided grappling with him at all cost
I thought Bo could beat Hazmat. But seeing how flat footed he was, and impatient with his setups. And all he did was spamming an overhand. After being a full time fighter for a couple years.. I dunno man..
Uncle Chael is mad for real with this one!
Craig looked physically much bigger than Bo. He just didn't even attempt to try to wrestle. Was it out of fear? Doubt? Inner circle giving him the wrong game plan? We won't know. But we do know he isn't ready for Khamzat at all. The skill and confidence gap is just insane.
Gsp didn’t take Jake shields down.
You could say this the other way Paul didn't try to bring him to ground/ guard
Great take Unc
29-15-1
That’s 29 wins, 15 wins, and 1 more win.
Chael P. Sonnen
PLEASE talk your shit Chale Sonnen
I had the feeling that Paul Craig would expose him on some level.
You are right Chael
Khamzat immune system needs to hold up. If he can make it to the octagon he will beat bo
When Chael got real close to the camera I got scared
Homeboy got the “Ronda” mindset pushed on him. Someone actually convinced him he could kickbox. Happened to Damian Maia also. Wasted huge chunks of his career trying to kickbox with guys instead of just strangling them.
The UFC needs to put the hype train behind fighters that prove themselves against real opponents.
Let Bo work his craft on the undercard. Could still be a good fighter but what we saw last night did not look promising.
YEAH BO YOU HEARD UNCLE CHAEL (The guy with 0 world titles) "DO WHAT YOU DO BO DONT BE SMART!"
Khamzat vs. Bo = Khabib vs. Askren
Eh I saw Paul Craig snap Hills arm if he could beat him without putting himself in any danger I don’t blame him
100% agree. As wrestling and MMA fan very disappointed. Two poor performances in a row from guy who after 1 or 2 fights was calling out top guys.
Let's see Bo and Colby go at it. 🍻🙋
Khamzat shot and took down Gilbert Burns early. Felt his jitsu, pulled out and didn't shoot again. But still made the rest of the fight bangin fun
He has been promoted as American Khamzat. But he’s nothing like him. That guy have completely different mindset. A real fighter. Bo is just a very good wrestler trying to learn how to fight