Tag: bo nickal

Bo Nickal Doubles Down On Defense Of UFC 309 Performance: ‘This Fight Was Picture-Perfect’

UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal continues to push back on suggestions he underperformed this past weekend. Nickal was among those to have their hand raised on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view. But unlike his previous Octagon outings — all of which came by way of knockout or submission — the American didn’t […]

UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal continues to push back on suggestions he underperformed this past weekend.

Nickal was among those to have their hand raised on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view. But unlike his previous Octagon outings — all of which came by way of knockout or submission — the American didn’t draw a positive reaction from the crowd.

The audience in attendance at Madison Square Garden made their displeasure known throughout Nickal’s three-round contest with formerly ranked middleweight and light heavyweight contender Paul Craig.

After the decorated wrestling specialist got the nod after 15 minutes of largely forgettable striking, he was heavily booed during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. And they rained down even heavier when Nickal defended the display and expressed how happy he was with the win.

During his post-fight press conference at MSG, Nickal shared the same sentiment, even going as far as to call his performance in New York City “picture-perfect.”

“Definitely, it’s way better for me and my development,” Nickal said. “If you look at my cage time and what I had before this, I over-doubled it, for sure. That’s something that for me I’ve really cornered myself with this reputation of a guy who finishes them and destroys them – because that’s when the expectation is set. My expectation is to compete to the best of my ability at 100 percent effort.

“It’s not anything to do with the result. It doesn’t matter: decisions, submissions, knockouts. I’m definitely not disappointed with this result. I was way more disappointed with my last fight and I subbed the guy,” Nickal continued. “This fight, for me, was picture-perfect.”

With the result, Nickal has moved to a perfect 4-0 in the UFC and 7-0 overall as a professional mixed martial artist.

The three-time NCAA Division I national champion and three-time Big Ten Conference champion out of Pennsylvania State University will now look ahead to his first assignment of 2025, as he edges closer to putting a number next to his name at 185 pounds.

‘Khamzat Kills Bo’ – Fans React As Bo Nickal’s UFC 309 Decision Over Paul Craig Draws ‘Overrated’ Chants Inside MSG

New Yorkers are unafraid to show their honest opinions, and that resulted in a harsh reaction toward Bo Nickal as he took a decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309. The fight was ultimately quiet throughout the 15 minutes. The first round could have fallen either way, as Nickal looked to stand in front […]

New Yorkers are unafraid to show their honest opinions, and that resulted in a harsh reaction toward Bo Nickal as he took a decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309.

The fight was ultimately quiet throughout the 15 minutes. The first round could have fallen either way, as Nickal looked to stand in front of Craig and land low kicks. “Bearjew,” however, checked those and landed kicks of his own.

The second frame saw the American wrestler land the harder strikes, though the round felt quieter than the first. The third stanza saw Nickal stun Craig on a couple of occasions but not follow up on it. That round also saw a brutal reaction from the MSG crowd, bringing down boos and chants of “Overrated!”

The undefeated prospect ultimately swept the judges’ scorecards for the win.

Bo Nickal Gets Booed By MSG Crowd As He Defeats Paul Craig At UFC 309

This marked Nickal’s fourth bout in the UFC after winning a pair of fights on Dana White’s Contender Series. His run in the Octagon thus far has seen him score finishes of Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage.

Craig, meanwhile, has now lost three straight and five of his last six.

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal – “It’s Just Another Challenge” at UFC 309

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal - "It’s Just Another Challenge" at UFC 309Bo Nickal faces his toughest test yet at UFC 309, but for the former Nittany Lion, it’s just another…

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal - "It’s Just Another Challenge" at UFC 309

Bo Nickal faces his toughest test yet at UFC 309, but for the former Nittany Lion, it’s just another day at the office.

Storming into the UFC last year and picking up three-straight finishes, Nickal will meet submission specialist Paul Craig as part of Saturday’s highly anticipated pay-per-view event inside Madison Square Garden.

Bo Nickal

Nickal has been steadily increasing the difficulty each time he steps inside the Octagon, but ‘Bearjew’ will undoubtedly be his biggest challenge thus far. Craig is a 26-fight veteran with 18 of those scraps coming under the UFC banner. Along the way, Craig has scored nine finishes, including six submission and three KOs.

Of course, none of that matters to Nickal.

“I think it’s just a step up in competition for me. Who I fight doesn’t matter as much as the way I’m developing and improving in the sport. So, you know, I think he’s a guy that has a ton of experience. He’s a guy that poses a lot of danger and some interesting problems to solve. It makes sense for my career and where I’m at.

“It’s not really anything personal at all. It’s just another challenge.”

Bo Nickal not surprised by being a massive favorite at UFC 300

Nickal is a perfect 6-0 in his mixed martial career so far and boasts a 100% finish rate with only one of his opponents making it out of the opening round. Meanwhile, Craig will be looking to climb back into the win column after dropping back-to-back bouts against Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho.

Bo Nickal

Despite facing a known finisher with plenty of experience to boot, Nickal is sitting as a massive -1100 favorite while ‘Bearjew’ is a 7-to-1 underdog.

Bo Nickal

“No, the odds don’t really surprise me,” Nickal told Ariel Helwani. “I actually figured they would be even crazier. It’s almost like a mania. Every time I come to fight, I think the people know who is going to win, so it’s all good.”

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal – “It’s Just Another Challenge” at UFC 309

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal - "It’s Just Another Challenge" at UFC 309Bo Nickal faces his toughest test yet at UFC 309, but for the former Nittany Lion, it’s just another…

Paul Craig Does Not Matter to Bo Nickal - "It’s Just Another Challenge" at UFC 309

Bo Nickal faces his toughest test yet at UFC 309, but for the former Nittany Lion, it’s just another day at the office.

Storming into the UFC last year and picking up three-straight finishes, Nickal will meet submission specialist Paul Craig as part of Saturday’s highly anticipated pay-per-view event inside Madison Square Garden.

Bo Nickal

Nickal has been steadily increasing the difficulty each time he steps inside the Octagon, but ‘Bearjew’ will undoubtedly be his biggest challenge thus far. Craig is a 26-fight veteran with 18 of those scraps coming under the UFC banner. Along the way, Craig has scored nine finishes, including six submission and three KOs.

Of course, none of that matters to Nickal.

“I think it’s just a step up in competition for me. Who I fight doesn’t matter as much as the way I’m developing and improving in the sport. So, you know, I think he’s a guy that has a ton of experience. He’s a guy that poses a lot of danger and some interesting problems to solve. It makes sense for my career and where I’m at.

“It’s not really anything personal at all. It’s just another challenge.”

Bo Nickal not surprised by being a massive favorite at UFC 300

Nickal is a perfect 6-0 in his mixed martial career so far and boasts a 100% finish rate with only one of his opponents making it out of the opening round. Meanwhile, Craig will be looking to climb back into the win column after dropping back-to-back bouts against Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho.

Bo Nickal

Despite facing a known finisher with plenty of experience to boot, Nickal is sitting as a massive -1100 favorite while ‘Bearjew’ is a 7-to-1 underdog.

Bo Nickal

“No, the odds don’t really surprise me,” Nickal told Ariel Helwani. “I actually figured they would be even crazier. It’s almost like a mania. Every time I come to fight, I think the people know who is going to win, so it’s all good.”

UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 309 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City provides a chance for UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to record his first successful title defense. After capturing the gold […]

UFC 309 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City provides a chance for UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to record his first successful title defense.

After capturing the gold in March 2023 by quickly submitting Ciryl Gane, “Bones” is next tasked with stalling Stipe Miocic’s ambitions of a return to the 265-pound mountaintop in what will mark the Ohio native’s first outing in three and a half years.

The stakes will also be high in the co-main event, which will see former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira look to secure another shot at regaining the crown by once again getting the better of Michael Chandler.

Elsewhere on the UFC 309 card, middleweight prospect Bo Nickal, rising flyweight Karine Silva, the always entertaining Mauricio Ruffy and former champion Chris Weidman have their next assignments inside the Octagon.

Ahead of the event, 25 of the 26 fighters successfully made weight, with James Llontop’s 1.2-pound miss of the 165-pound catchweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale. Nevertheless, every fight is intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 309 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 5 PM ET.

UFC 309 Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 309 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Jones vs. Miocic, Oliveira vs. Chandler 2, & More

UFC 309 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, November 16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at […]

UFC 309 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, November 16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, who is tasked with getting the better of former kingpin Stipe Miocic if he’s to record a first successful title defense.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ex-lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira in action for the second time this year. After failing to get past Arman Tsarukyan, “Do Bronx” must add a second win over Michael Chandler to his record if he’s to keep his name in the title conversation.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of elite wrestling specialist Bo Nickal, rising women’s flyweight contender Karine Silva, the entertaining Mauricio Ruffy and former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 309 main card here.

UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 309 (as of 11/15), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

  • Jon Jones (-625) vs. Stipe Miocic (+455)
  • Charles Oliveira (-245) vs. Michael Chandler (+200)
  • Viviane Araújo (+240) vs. Karine Silva (-298)
  • Bo Nickal (-1350) vs. Paul Craig (+800)
  • Mauricio Ruffy (-900) vs. James Llontop (+600)

Preliminary Card:

  • Jonathan Martinez (+120) vs. Marcus McGhee (-142)
  • Eryk Anders (-115) vs. Chris Weidman (-105)
  • Jim Miller (+150)vvs. Damon Jackson (-180)
  • David Onama (-850) vs. Roberto Romero (+575)

Early Preliminary Card: 

  • Marcin Tybura (-148) vs. Jhonata Diniz (+124)
  • Mickey Gall (-142) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (+120)
  • Bassil Hafez (+230) vs. Oban Elliott (-285)
  • Veronica Hardy (-135) vs. Eduarda Moura (+114)