The former 3x NCAA Division Champ, Bo Nickal, doesn’t care about the hate, as he sets his eyes on a UFC contract.
Nickal made his professional MMA debut in June 2022, where he won via KO in 33 seconds against John Noland. This performance had the MMA world buzzing, and even caught the attention of UFC president, Dana White, who promptly offered him a contract for the Contender Series.
And Bo Nickal doesn’t seem to be the kind of guy to let the pressure get to him, as he said in a recent interview:
“I’ve read some of it and heard different people saying different things, but I don’t really care. They can say whatever they want; it doesn’t really affect me at all. I know who I am as a person, I know my character, my values, things that are important to me.”
Bo Nickal Is Confident In His Future Trajectory
If you had the wrestling pedigree that Nickal possesses, you’d be confident, too. As mentioned earlier, he’s won the NCAA National Championships 3x, won gold in the U23 World Championships, another gold in the 2019 US National Championships, and finished his college wrestling career with an incredible 120-3 record.
When asked about his thoughts on the state of wrestling in MMA, Bo Nickal said:
“I think I exaggerated a little bit when I said most guys only have 10% of the wrestling I have. I think I gave them too much credit, they probably only have around 1%. All these guys can say whatever they want; I know where I’m headed, I know my trajectory.”
It’s rare to see someone with Bo Nickal’s wrestling history to look so natural on his feet, which is why many people think he could be the next big thing in the sport. But that’s a long way away, as he has many hurdles to climb before he can establish himself as a star. However, hard work has never deterred Nickal before.
“I’m going to say what the truth is and if people think it’s me trash talking, ok, cool. I watch more film than anybody, I study more than anybody, I’m training harder than anybody, and I’m going to take care of me. Of course, people are always going to have something to say, but I know my trajectory, I know where I’m headed in a couple years.” (H/T UFC).
Bo Nickal is set to compete against Zachary Borrego on August 9, 2022. Borrego has a 4-0 record with 3 stoppage wins.