Daniel Cormier responds to Bo Nickal's scathing criticism of UFC 309 commentary
Today at 08:08 PM
UFC middleweight Bo Nickal wasn’t happy with Daniel Cormier’s commentary during his slow-paced win over Paul Craig.
Bo Nickal earned a unanimous decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309 last Saturday in New York City. Despite earning the biggest win of his career, the crowd wasn’t thrilled with Nickal’s approach in the fight, showering him with boos at the legendary Madison Square Garden.
As the action unfolded, Cormier said Nickal wasn’t ready for a middleweight of Khamzat Chimaev’s caliber, after Nickal and Chimaev traded barbs over the last year. Nickal, a former two-time NCAA national champion wrestler, didn’t attempt a single takedown against Craig.
After hearing Daniel Cormier’s remarks during the UFC 309 broadcast, Nickal aired his grievances during a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show. He said he was “disappointed” in Cormier’s criticism and lack of positivity exuded during his battle with Craig.
Cormier has since explained his harshness during the UFC 309 broadcast, and why he believes Nickal isn’t ready for the top middleweight contenders.
Daniel Cormier explains harsh criticism of Bo Nickal during UFC 309 commentary
In a recent video upload on his YouTube channel, Cormier clarified his stance on Nickal’s performance.
"This one kind of took me a little bit by surprise because I do like Bo, and I do believe that at some point he's going to be a champion. I just think that he's a respectful guy. So, he's trying to say things in the nicest way he possibly can, but I think he may have misunderstood what I'm trying to say,” Cormier said. “What I was more trying to say in this fight is, let's not rush him into fights with people who are much more experienced. That is how good he has done in a short period of time.
"You know what's the craziest thing? After this weekend, right after the fight, people called me and said I was a Bo apologist. I was being apologetic for his performance, almost making excuses for him,” Cormier continued. “That's crazy because it's odd that a fighter can interpret it so much different than other people in the world. I thought he did really good. I have no problem with Bo Nickal. I believe he's going to be fine. I don't have a problem with the performance. I thought he fought really well, but there's room for improvement. Let's just take our time – we don't need to rush him." (h/t MMA Junkie)
UFC CEO Dana White made similar remarks immediately after Nickal’s victory. During the UFC 309 post-fight press conference, White revealed that he and the matchmakers are in constant contact with Nickal over his fighting style and career trajectory.
Bo Nickal’s UFC rise stalls after sluggish UFC 309 win
Nickal remains undefeated in his professional MMA career with the victory over Craig. The former Dana White’s Contender Series standout has earned recent wins over Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage, and Jamie Pickett.
Before making the full-time transition to MMA, Nickal was a superstar in collegiate wrestling. At Penn State, he earned multiple NCAA Division-I national championships and was considered a blue-chip MMA prospect.
Despite Nickal’s sluggish last two fights, he remains a top middleweight prospect and a potential future title contender. But, Cormier’s remarks demonstrate that Nickal still has a long way to go before moving into the middleweight title mix.
