LAS VEGAS – Val Woodburn “didn’t think twice” when he received a call to fight Bo Nickal at UFC 290 on just five days’ notice.
Woodburn (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who was scheduled to compete on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series, was asked to fill in for injured Tresean Gore against highly touted prospect Nickal (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The middleweight bout opens the pay-per-view main card, which follows prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
According to Woodburn, his weight was between 206 and 211 pounds when the UFC offered him the fight. He ran the situation past his team, and they collectively agreed to accept. One day later, he was in Las Vegas in the thick of fight week.
“It’s crazy,” Woodburn told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC 290 media day. “I think I’m in a dream right now. But at the same time I work for it, and this is why I put in all the hard work. So at the same time I’m excited, too. But it’s a dream.”
It’s a major opportunity for Woodburn, 29, but also a risk. He secured a UFC contract by stepping up, but he’s being given almost no chance of beating former three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion Nickal, who has finished all four of his career wins inside the first round.
After the new fight was made, the opening odds pitted Nickal as the biggest favorite in UFC history at -2500. It’s a staggering line but not one that flusters Woodburn.
“I’m going to be the bad apple Saturday night,” Woodburn said. “I’m definitely going to be that guy. I’m known for ruining these guys’ records and stuff. I’m known for the upset, and I love being the underdog, because I thrive off of that. … I’m coming out there to show I’m a dog. You’ll see.”
Many fighters in Woodburn’s position would simply be happy just to be here. But he’s not that type of guy. He is thoroughly confident he can shock fight fans, and anything less than getting his hand raised would be deemed a disappointment.
“Winning this fight is mandatory for me,” Woodburn said. “There’s no slack or nothing like that. This is not just a fight because it’s on short notice. I’m coming to fight. I’m coming to put on a show, I’m coming to take an opportunity and maximize it to the fullest.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
Historic UFC 290 underdog Val Woodburn says he’ll be ‘the bad apple,’ derail Bo Nickal’s hype train