Daniel Cormier walks back take on Bo Nickal’s UFC future as he touts MMA’s ‘best American prospect’

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has his eyes on one rising heavyweight who could get a shot in the Octagon in 2026.

Dana White’s Contender Series has quickly become the greatest UFC talent development program in MMA history. UFC stars like Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill began their ascent to championship titles when they earned contracts on DWCS.

UFC middleweight Bo Nickal, a former NCAA wrestling national champion, fought twice on DWCS and was regarded as a once-in-a-generation prospect. While Nickal is coming off his first career MMA loss earlier this year to Reinier de Ridder, he remains highly touted as he prepares to return to the cage at UFC 322 later this month.

Ahead of Nickal’s return, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has repeatedly touted Nickal as America’s best MMA prospect. But Cormier believes a rising heavyweight has surpassed Nickal in terms of hype and potential.

Daniel Cormier lauds rising heavyweight prospect as potential future UFC champ

During a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier tabbed Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson as MMA’s best USA blue-chip prospect.

GABLE STEVESON 13 SECOND KNOCKOUT IN HIS DIRTY BOXING DEBUT!!!! #DBX4 pic.twitter.com/9P7TPGnWGa

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 31, 2025

“An American to get excited about,” Cormier said. “That’s Gable Steveson. They asked me a couple of weeks ago who still is the greatest potential to be a UFC champion, American-born…I still said Bo Nickal.

“I’ve changed now. It’s Gable Steveson. There are no wrestlers at heavyweight. Jon Jones is the wrestler, and look at the way Jon Jones made a fight with Ciryl Gane look because he had wrestling. Gable can do all those things. It sounds like Jones is taking a really hands-on approach to training him.

“This dude, I believe today, he is the best American prospect to potentially become a UFC champion.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Steveson made headlines last week when he knocked out Billy Swanson in just 15 seconds in his Dirty Boxing debut. The wrestling juggernaut made his professional MMA debut earlier this year, knocking out Braden Peterson at LFA 217.