"Pains me to say it but it’d be the right thing" - Bo Nickal details scenario in which he'd fight on prelims of UFC card
UFC's surging star Bo Nickal had earlier claimed that he'd rather retire than fight on the preliminary card moving forward. While he's self-assured that he's a massive draw, Nickal has recently detailed a scenario in which he would consider fighting on the preliminary card.
Bo Nickal has cropped as MMA's latest sought-after sensation following his dominant first-round victory over Donovan Beard in his second appearance in Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) season 6. With that, the three-time NCAA Division I national champion bagged a coveted UFC contract.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Nickal claimed that he does not foresee him being placed in the preliminary section of fight cards:
“Am I a prelim guy? I’m not a prelim guy. If I have to fight in the prelims, I’ll just retire. I’m done. They’ll [UFC] do the right thing, they’ll do the smart thing. Like I said, if I’m on the prelims, I’ll retire. I’m out."
However, it seems like the American has had a change of mind and backpedaled on the statement after deliberating different scenarios. Nickal stated in a tweet that if the UFC puts together an event with fighters who are bigger draws than him, he wouldn't mind fighting on the undercard:
"I’ve been thinking about it a lot… If the UFC puts a card together with 10 people who are all bigger draws than me, which is doable as there are many bigger draws than me currently, I’ll fight on prelims. Pains me to say it but it’d be the right thing. What do y’all think?"
Check out the tweet below:
I’ve been thinking about it a lot… If the UFC puts a card together with 10 people who are all bigger draws than me, which is doable as there are many bigger draws than me currently, I’ll fight on prelims. Pains me to say it but it’d be the right thing. What do y’all think?
What is Bo Nickal's MMA record?
Bo Nickal signed with First Round Management, a team that manages several renowned athletes, including Jorge Masvidal, in November 2019. Nickal hired the team to support him with the transition to MMA after a successful collegiate wrestling career.
The 26-year-old competed in two amateur mixed martial arts bouts before turning professional. Nickal holds victories over David Conley and Billy Goode on the amateur circuit.
He went on to make his professional MMA debut against John Noland on June 3, 2022 on Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC event. Interestingly, the wrestling phenom won the fight by knockout in the very first round.
WHAT A DEBUT FOR BO NICKAL https://t.co/4DSelCdYWW
Even before he made his first appearance on DWCS, several MMA fighters spoke highly of Nickal hailing him as the next big prospect.
Bo Nickal next fought Zachary Borrego at catchweight after his opponent missed weight by 1.5 lbs. in his first outing on the show. The American won the fight with a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
#DWCSBo Nickal submits Zachary Borrego in 62 seconds 😳 #DWCS
(via @ufc) https://t.co/txvpPtX1A2
Currently, Bo Nickal has had three fights as a professional mixed martial artist with as many victories. Interestingly, all his fights, including the two victories as an amateur, have come with finishes in the first round.