Fighter Spotlight: Bo Nickal
He is making his official UFC debut this weekend. Bo Nickal is an anomaly in the fighting industry. This is because it is unheard of for someone this fresh into their career to already make such waves in the MMA community.
Bo is a hot take among analysts and fighters, and for a good reason. Born in November 1996, at only 27 years old, Bo Nickal has a standout background in wrestling; Nickal attended Penn State University, where he became a three-time NCAA champion and a four-time all-American. He also won the Hodge trophy, which is annually awarded to the best college wrestler in the country.
After completing his collegiate career, Nickal transitioned to mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts has always been a sport that has welcomed athletes from different disciplines. However, a discipline that has consistently produced successful fighters and champions is wrestling. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, George St-Pierre Henry Cejudo, Tyrone Woodley, Cain Velasquez, and Islam Makhachev, to name a few.
Bo Nickal competed twice on Dana White's contender series in 2022, finishing both opponents via submission. In the short time, we have had to watch Nickal. He has only been thoroughly impressive. In his three professional fights, Nickal has only been inside the octagon for two minutes and 45 seconds.
In his professional debut, he scored a knockout victory in 33 seconds. Furthermore, in the total time we have had to view Nickal's performances, we have seen glimpses of good stand-up skills. The "what-if" questions surrounding his abilities, especially his stand-up, only add to his aura and excitement.
The UFC also shares these feelings as Nickal is debuting on the main card on one of the biggest PPV cards. It is no secret that Nickal has the tools to become a future UFC champion and star. Many professionals believe Nickal can compete and potentially beat many of the fighters at the top of the middleweight division. The classic line of "styles make fights" certainly runs true when such an established and successful wrestler steps inside the cage.
Comment your thoughts below, and let us know what you think about the UFC's new potential superstar.
