With Borrachinha and Michel Pereira on the list, UFC promise targets ranked players for next challenge

Michael Pereira e Paulo borrachinha were mentioned as possible opponents for the UFC promise. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage.

Despite not having met all expectations in the UFC 309, BoNickal has already outlined an ambitious next step in his career: facing a ranked opponent. Even though he received boos when he defeated Paul Craig, the young UFC talent showed confidence and revealed possible names for his next fight.

In an appearance on the 'Pound 4 Pound' podcast, hosted by Henry Cejudo e Kamaru Usman, Nickal reaffirmed his desire to compete against fighters in the top 15. The wrestler acknowledged the challenges that each opponent can bring, but made it clear that he believes in his ability to overcome them and even make the fights 'easy'.

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“I don’t know exactly who’s in the top 15, but I’m thinking guys like Michael Pereira, anthony hernandez, Shara Bullet, Paulo Costa. Even a guy who alternates between welterweight and middleweight, Kevin holland. He has a lot of knockout wins. So guys like that, they all present interesting threats. These are fighters that could give me a hard time, but I believe in my skill set and what I can do. As I continue to train, work more on my striking, my jiu-jitsu and mix it up, I believe I can dominate a lot of these guys and make things easy for them.” BoNickal

With victory over Paul Craig, at UFC 309. BoNickal He achieved his seventh career victory, his fourth in the UFC. At 28 years old, the American is considered one of the most prominent stars in wrestling and was a three-time NCAA champion.