- Bo Nickal thinks Khamzat Chimaev could dethrone Leon Edwards
- The 27-year-old also feels Islam Makhachev will be a difficult challenge for “Rocky”
UFC middleweight Bo Nickal weighed in on Leon Edwards’ chances against Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachev.
Leon could face some real challenge
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Nickal said he is not sure if the current welterweight contenders could give Edwards a run for his money. However, “Borz” has the ability to beat “Rocky” and Makhachev could also be a very tough matchup for Edwards.
“I think there are guys that are going to be able to give him some resistance and stuff,” Nickal said. “If Khamzat goes back down, that’s a freaking tough fight for him. Islam [Makhachev] would be a tough fight for him, as well, but I think that’s really competitive.”
“I feel like Khamzat comes down, he would probably beat him [Edwards] up,” he continued. “But Islam coming up, even though he’s a big 55’er, Leon’s big. Leon can freaking strike. Colby [Covington] was able to hold him down a good amount, so who knows? And Leon’s smart, he keeps his cool so, I don’t know.”
Belal could be next for Leon
Belal Muhammad has been insisting that out of all the top welterweight contenders, he is the most deserving of a title shot. He recently claimed that UFC president Dana White already told him he is next for Edwards, which is certainly not a problem for the reigning champ.
As for Chimaev, it is yet to know if he would be coming back to 170 as he has been fighting at middleweight as of late. His plan is to take on somebody at the highly-anticipated UFC 300 in April.
On the other hand, Makhachev has been planning to move up to welterweight and aim for double champion status.
Check out Nickal’s full podcast below:
