"Bo Nickal, 100%" - Dana White on which DWCS contenders he believes can break through and achieve Sean O'Malley levels of fame
During the post-fight media interview for Dana White's Contender Series, Season 6 (DWCS), UFC President Dana White assessed who, according to him, from the latest graduates from the series has the potential to break through as a superstar.
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley, an alumni from the contender series, holds the distinction of being the most prominent names to emerge from the show. 'Sugar' has carved a niche for himself and amassed a loyal fan base with his strong social media appeal and dynamic fighting style.
"Sean O'Malley is that thing."
The @SugaSeanMMA Show rolls on in his second UFC bout. #UFC222 https://t.co/d0Y00ddIXH
With the show's growing popularity, several fighters from DWCS with breakthrough performances are grabbing the headlines. When a reporter asked Dana White who according to him can break through and achieve Sean O'Malley's level of fame, White said:
"Bo Nickal, 100%.''
Nickal became the latest entrant on the UFC roster from DWCS with his dominant first-round submission victory over Donovan Beard. Last week, a 17-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. was awarded a prestigious UFC contract. He also became the youngest fighter to enter the organization's pool of talented combatants.
White shed light on what the show has been able to achieve with talented prospects like Rosas Jr. and Nickal:
"To be seventeen and come in and compete the way that he did... And the reality is, this show now, I mean if you come in and you perform and you do well in this show, people know who you are."
Watch the post-fight media scrum from the 9:00 mark below:
Dana White on Bo Nickal's first-round submission victory over Donovan Beard
Bo Nickal stole the show on Dana White's Contender Series when he made quick work of his opponent Donovan Beard with a first-round submission victory.
It was plain sailing for the former Dan Hodge Trophy winner, who was brought back to compete on the show for a second time by Dana White. The second outing turned out to be a charm for Nickal, who eventually landed the coveted UFC contract.
White heaped praise on Nickal during the post-fight media scrum and claimed that he was impressed by the youngster's confidence:
"My God! Incredible man. The kid's incredible. He looks great. Obviously a big step-up in competition this time fighting somebody [Donovan Beard] who's 7-1 with a reach advantage and a height advantage. The kid's confidence in himself is unbelievable. His game is amazingly well-rounded. Yeah, very impressive."
Nothing but praise from The Boss for @NoBickal after another dominant #DWCS performance👏 https://t.co/8JXaz2JjH2