NEW YORK – Bo Nickal isn’t afraid to hit the ground running with jiu-jitsu specialist Paul Craig. Not at all.

Nickal, a UFC middleweight prospect and decorated collegiate wrestler, responded to Craig’s claims that he is vastly superior to him in jiu-jistsu by warning Craig about underestimating that part of his game ahead of their main card fight at UFC 309 on Saturday in Madison Square. Garden.

“The guys I train and work with in jiu-jitsu are, they’re not good at jiu-jitsu for MMA, they’re the best guys in the world in sports jiu-jitsu,” Nickal said. “I think he would be surprised at how good my overall submission wrestling is. I mean, the first wrestling match I ever had was against Gordon Ryan, one of the pound-for-pound No. 1 (wrestling) fighters in the world, and he couldn’t submit me for thirteen minutes, and that was by three training in that sport. So I think he would be surprised by my struggle.

Nickal (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who many believe is destined to become a UFC champion, sees Craig (17-8-1 MMA, 9-8-1 UFC) as the right step in his career. He said he had called for the fight, but it was nothing personal. Nickal just thinks it’s a fight that makes sense for him.

“It’s just a step up in competition,” Nickal said. “For me it doesn’t matter who I fight as much as the way I develop and improve in the sport. He is a man with a lot of experience. He’s a guy who brings a lot of danger and interesting problems to solve, so it makes sense for my career and where I am now.

“It’s not personal at all. It’s just another step in the direction I’m going. I’m excited about it. This is the biggest challenge I’ve had. I think everyone would agree with that.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s events hub for UFC 309.