Despite being pleased with his performance this past weekend, UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal does wish he did one thing differently against Paul Craig.
Nickal extended his undefeated record in the UFC and professional mixed martial arts as a whole at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he got the better of experienced veteran Paul Craig on the main card.
The formerly ranked light heavyweight and middleweight was expected to mark the toughest test of Nickal’s career to date owing to his renowned jiu-jitsu ability, but that ultimately didn’t rear its head on fight night.
Instead, the submission specialist and the decorated wrestler fought out three lackluster rounds on the feet, much to the dismay of the New York crowd in attendance.
But despite boos raining down on the Octagon following his unanimous decision win, Nickal has been firmly defending his display and expressing his joy at how he was able to emerge victorious from a striking battle.
However, the three-time NCAA Division I national champion and three-time Big Ten Conference champion out of Pennsylvania State University does have one regret, albeit a small one…
“I was winning the striking and I was happy to get experience in the cage doing something I’ve never done before,” Nickal wrote on X. “My only (small) regret is not being more aggressive in the 3rd round after I hurt him. I need to build a better system to attack when my opponent is hurt.”
Having added Craig’s name to a list of defeated UFC opponents that also includes Cody Brundage, Val Woodburn, and Jamie Pickett, Nickal has moved closer to breaking through into contention at 185 pounds.
But with his latest win leaving a lot to be desired in the eyes of some fans and pundits, it would appear that the 28-year-old still has some work to do before mixing it up with the division’s best.