Former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal is of the opinion that it is only a matter of time before he wins a UFC championship. As such, he doesn’t want to rush it.

Nickal will seek to extend his career record to a perfect 7-0 at next weekend’s UFC 309 where he will take on the sternest test of his young professional career against the Scottish submission expert Paul Craig, owner of wins over well-regarded opponents like Jamahal Hill, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Nikita Krylov over the course of the past four years.

A win against Craig would likely move Nickal to the brink of the top 15 in the UFC’s middleweight division — and while some have expressed a desire for Nickal to test his skills against ranked fighters at 185-pounds, Nickal says that will come in time.

“For me, the most important thing is developing, and I don’t want to skip steps,” Nickal said on Demetrious Johnson’s podcast, as noted by BJPenn.com.

“You mentioned Diego Lopes,” Nickal added to Johnson. “These guys have 20-plus pro fights. I’ve fought six times in just over two years. Is that infrequent? I wouldn’t say so. People might forget that I’ve only been fighting professionally since the summer of 2022.

“But with that said, it’s a good thing that people want to see me fight. I want to compete as much as I can, but I also want to make sure I’m improving. Let’s say I fight a ranked guy next, then a top-five opponent, and then for the title. It’s not a long road to where I want to go.”

“I feel like I can compete with and beat the best right now, but I don’t want it to be competitive when I reach the title fight,” he explained. “I want it to look like a masterclass where the opponent isn’t even on my level.”