UFC 288 debutant and Khamzat Chimaev's 'toughest opponent' calls out Bo Nickal to prove him wrong about Dagestani fighters

Bo Nickal recently received a callout from a former opponent of Khamzat Chimaev, Ikram Aliskerov. The Dagestani standout made his promotional debut on the UFC 288 early prelims, taking on middleweight veteran Phil Hawes.

Hawes started connecting early on, repeatedly slapping Aliskerov's body with a left kick. 'No Hype' appeared to be winning most exchanges before the Dagestani Sambo ace sent him to another dimension with a right hand at 2:10 of the opening frame.

Catch the highlights below:

Ikram Aliskerov subsequently issued a callout to American collegiate wrestling standout Bo Nickal who has called out Dagestani wrestlers in the past. The 30-year-old said in his post-fight octagon interview:

“Hey, Bo Nickal. I heard you want to fight with Dagestan guy. Hey, bro. I’m here. I’ll be waiting for your answer. I’ll be ready.”

Catch Aliskerov's comments below:

Aliskerov currently holds a 13-1 overall record with his only professional loss coming against Khamzat Chimaev under the BRAVE CF banner in 2019. Chimaev's unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 was the UFC Fight of the Year 2022.

However, 'Borz' acknowledged Aliskerov as his toughest opponent to date instead of 'Durinho'.

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Bo Nickal or Khamzat Chimaev next for UFC 288 debutant Ikram Aliskerov

Khamzat Chimaev flatlined Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their first meeting at BRAVE CF. While Chimaev signed with the UFC after just one more outing at BRAVE, Aliskerov had to rack up four consecutive victories to earn a spot on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in September 2022.

Aliskerov submitted Mario Sousa with a kimura in the opening round of their DWCS clash, impressing UFC president Dana White. While White acknowledged that the Dagestani standout was ready for ranked opponents, Aliskerov admitted that he would likely have to wait for a rematch against Khamzat Chimaev with 'Borz' having rapidly cllimbed the rankings in recent times.

Ikram Aliskerov reiterated his stance on the potential Chimaev rematch after his UFC 288 win over Phil Hawes as well. The 30-year-old said during the post-fight media scrum:

"My goals in the UFC immediately is to get to top 10 - top 5. And I know this guy is in that area so I'm sure that we'll see each other. But for now it's not the rematch that I'm thinking about."

Catch Aliskerov's comments below:

Meanwhile Bo Nickal is booked to take on Tresean Gore at UFC 290 in July. While he could go on to fight Aliskerov in the near future, Daniel Cormier, without mincing any words during the UFC 288 commentary, opined that Nickal is not ready for Aliskerov yet.