Too Soon? UFC ‘Curating’ Nickal’s Career

Bo Nickal has two fights on the amateur circuit and four bouts in professional MMA, with all six ending by way of first-round knockout or submission. The former NCAA Division 1 national champion, who currently trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., will return to middleweight competition against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29 standout Tresean Gore.

Gore is 1-2 inside the Octagon, with losses to Bryan Battle and Cody Brundage.

“The Brundage fight was a little bit telling for me though, because he was reacting very much to those level changes that Brundage kept hitting and they he just came out of nowhere with that massive hook,” former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy said on his YouTube channel (transcribed by MMA News). “I kind of feel like this one’s been matched for Bo Nickal to pick up another win. 4-0 against 4-2. I’m very excited for Bo Nickal, but it’s like, sometimes I feel like fighters join the UFC a little bit too soon, and then you can kinda tell that they’re curating their career too much, if that makes sense.”

Nickal is part of the UFC 290 pay-per-view (PPV) main card this Sat. night (July 8, 2023) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, his second UFC fight after scoring consecutive finishes on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in late 2022. Nickal recently came under fire for suggesting a -10000 betting line ahead of his APEX debut.

Nickal, 27, submitted Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 last March.

“I’m kind of expecting Bo Nickal to make the most of the pressure that Tresean Gore’s probably gonna put him under,” Hardy continued. “It makes no sense for Tresean Gore to back up and give him any space because then he’s gonna get pushed around and Bo Nickel’s gonna set up his level change. But ultimately, I just think this fight’s gonna be on the floor within a minute, and Bo Nickal’s gonna be able to probably beat him up from top position to soften him up and then attack some kind of neck [submission]; anaconda, arm triangle, rear-naked choke, etc., etc.”

For the rest of the UFC 290 fight card and PPV lineup click here.