'Big' John McCarthy reveals how American Top Team owner Dan Lambert built an 'entire facility' at College Station just for Bo Nickal - "He's put in a whole lot there behind him"
Bo Nickal has been the talk of the mixed martial arts world following back-to-back dominant performances on Dana White's Contender Series.
Nickal's elite wrestling has made him one of the most touted UFC prospects of all time. Former UFC referee and current mixed martial arts commentator John McCarthy shared that Nickal's skills motivated Dan Lambert to build a facility for the prestigious collegiate wrestler.
Speaking on his podcast Weighing In, McCarthy discussed Nickal, stating:
"Bo Nickal has never even fought in the UFC, and he's already got people talking... Anybody that knows his background, has watched him in his collegiate career - this guy is a f**king stud of a wrestler... Dan Lambert is a pretty smart son of a b**ch. Dan Lambert owns American Top Team down in Coconut Creek, Florida... He built an entire complex, an entire facility up at College Station based upon one guy... and it was Bo Nickal."
McCarthy added:
"If Dan Lambert does that - that's not just backing him saying, 'This guy is going to be something' - he's putting a lot of money behind him, he's putting a whole lot there behind him. It's telling you how good Bo Nickal can be. Now, that doesn't mean he can't be beat, but he's one of the top wrestlers in the sport just walking in right now."
McCarthy's comments show just how highly Nickal is viewed in the mixed martial arts world, despite having only three fights. Whether he lives up to the hype remains to be seen. However, many expect Nickal to eventually challenge for the middleweight title.
Watch John McCarthy's comments on Dan Lambert and Bo Nickal below (starting at the 25:40 mark):
Bo Nickal stated that he would retire before fighting on the preliminary card
Bo Nickal will reportedly make his UFC debut against Jamie Pickett at UFC 282. During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Nickal was asked about his opinion on debuting on the preliminary card. He responded by stating that he would retire before fighting on the preliminary card.
Bo Nickal: If I have to fight on the prelims, I'll just retire.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/i3FX3qARXX
Nickal would later take to Twitter to walk back his claim, noting that he would fight on the preliminary card if the UFC could put together a card with 10 fighters that are a bigger draw than him.
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?
While Nickal certainly has the potential to become a star in the UFC, he is still untested, as is his ability to sell fights. Considering that his opponent has never been on the main card of a pay-per-view event, it is unlikely that he will debut on the main card. Although the full UFC 282 fight card is not set, it is doubtful that the UFC will have 10 bigger than him on the main card. It remains to be seen if Nickal will retire if that proves to be the case.