"It meant a lot to me" - Bo Nickal shares how Dana White's warm embrace lifted his spirits post unsatisfying UFC 300 performance
Bo Nickal was able to survive the biggest test of his mixed martial arts career as he defeated Cody Brundage via second-round submission on the main card of UFC 300. Following the bout, the unranked middleweight prospect, who seemed unhappy with his performance, had a brief conversation with UFC President and CEO Dana White.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, he revealed how the conversation helped lift his spirits, stating:
"Obviously, the emotions were running high so I was like, 'I'm sorry, man, I wanted to put a better performance on'. It was what it was and he was just basically [telling] me that like I did amazing and he said that - it was actually crazy because I saw him walk over to where we exit the octagon and I was like what's he doing over there? And I've never seen him do that before where he just kind of greeted me after the fight."
Nickal continued:
"And he told me that I'm going to be one of the biggest stars this sport has ever seen and to keep doing what I'm doing and to basically just not let any of that stuff affect me and just keep grinding. And that was cool to hear just because out of anybody that can predict those types of things, he's a guy that I would respect his opinion so it meant a lot to me coming from him."
Check out Bo Nickal's comments on Dana White's post-fight message below:
While Nickal's performance was dominant, he received boos from the crowds at certain points of the fight. It marked the first time in his mixed martial arts career that an opponent made it out of the first round, however, he was able to remain undefeated, improving to 6-0.
Bo Nickal reveals DM from Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler is set to make his return to the octagon in June as he faces Conor McGregor in the latter's highly-anticipated return from a three-year hiatus. Bo Nickal revealed that his fellow NCAA All-American wrestler reached out to him during the latest episode of his Nickals and Dimes podcast, stating:
"Michael Chandler DM'd me after the fight. He was like, 'it's easy to be critical, but you're the one that steps in there and there's a lot to be said for that'. And he was like, 'yo, hop on the card, June 29th, let's get it'. And I was like, 'oh!' That would be sick. That would be sick, dude, to fight on that card. I kind of almost have to."
Check out Bo Nickal's comments on Michael Chandler's DM below:
It is unclear if the promotion will look to have Nickal fight at UFC 303. In addition to the main event, there have been four fights announced for the card, however, each will likely be a preliminary card bout.