UFC 300 Controversy: Bo Nickal's Card Placement - Robert Whittaker's Critique
Image Credit: Realistkilla
UFC 300 is around the corner, and anticipation is building for the year's biggest UFC event. The promoters have stacked the fight card. It promises a thrilling night of action in Las Vegas. It has top-tier matchups. Yet, one issue is causing a stir among fans and fighters alike. It is the placement of Bo Nickal on the card. The decision sparked a reaction from former champion Robert Whittaker.
The Rising Star Bo Nickal
Nickal is one of the more promising prospects on the UFC roster today. The American had a lot of hype going into his UFC debut. This was because of his strong wrestling background. He also did well on the Dana White Contenders series. Nickal is a tremendous athlete and has all the tools needed to succeed in the UFC. Furthermore, he has the potential to be a big draw for the company, which means they want to push him hard. Yet, even though he is a rising star, Whittaker doesn't believe he should be as high on the card for UFC 300. Speaking to the MMArcade podcast, Whittaker explained his thinking. He said Nickal vs Cody Brundage should be lower on the card.
"As enemies of mine, due to being in the middleweight division, I'm going to say no," Whittaker said. "It should be above Jiří and Rakić; like that's almost disrespectful because Jiří was the champ. Like, yeah, he didn't defend the belt, but he had the belt. That's something, you know? They call out, 'Former light heavyweight champion,' before he walks out, so I don't know... like let's not forget people's accomplishments. , you have your ups and downs in this sport, but they're a former champion. I don't know, show some respect."
Robert Whittaker On The Nickal Is Being Promoted
Nickal is such a promising talent that it is easy to see why the UFC wants to book him the right way. Whittaker said the UFC was naturing the rising star.
"Bo Nickal let's not beat around the bush. Look at the names he has won against. Tell me which one of them you know," Whittaker said. "Right? And he's on the main card of Rakić and Figueiredo, dude, and Garbrandt, come on, man. Like, I feel like they've done it. I don't know how this happened; I don't know; they snuck this in. They've done dirty to the other guys. Bo Nickal's getting, like, well-cultivated. You look at the names he's fighting, the periods he's fighting in, the areas he's fighting in. He's getting nurtured."
Quotes via MMA News
Nickal is an excellent fighter and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.
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