From one All-American to another, Gregor Gillespie offers advice to MMA newcomer Bo Nickal

One of the best collegiate wrestlers today will make a transition to MMA in the near future.

Four-time All-American wrestler Bo Nickal recently announced he will be taking his skills from the mat to the cage once he’s done with his amateur wrestling career. The Penn State star currently has his eyes set on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team but knows professional fighting is on the horizon.

It’s undeniable Nickal will be a very promising addition to the sport given his grappling pedigree. Fellow All-American, and one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, Gregor Gillespie believes the ceiling is high for Nickal.

“Bo Nickal will 100 percent be an absolute freak of nature when it comes to fighting,” Gillespie told MMA Junkie. “He can be the champ one day. I firmly believe that.”

Having come from the same background and being a threat in the UFC’s lightweight division, Gillespie (13–1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) knows a thing or two about what it takes to develop into a successful fighter.

If Gillespie could offer a piece of advice to the 23-year-old Nickal, it would be to keep building on his existing skills before setting foot in the cage.

“I would tell Bo to do as many no-gi grappling tournaments he can for one or two years,” Gillespie said. “In the spare time he can start doing your sparring, hitting pads and all those things that come with striking, but I would say – if I were his coach – to do as many no-gi grappling competitions you can for a year-and-a-half.

“Three or four times a week hitting pads, and the rest twice a week you can do sparring. But before you have any fights, and obviously Bo is a freak wrestler, but I would tell him to work on his no-gi submission game. Be sure most of Bo Nickal’s fights will end on the ground, you can’t imagine him not taking someone down.”

Nickal has yet to announce a date for his move to MMA. He joins Bubba Jenkins, Ed Ruth, Phil Davis, and a few other Penn State wrestlers who have transitioned to MMA.