Bo Dean Nickal is an American professional mixed martial artist & freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the middleweight division.
Bo Nickal : Sherdog | Contender series | mma fight
In freestyle wrestling, he claimed the 2019 U23 World Championship and the US Open National championship, and was a finalist at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials and a Final X contestant in 2019.
| Bo Nickal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bo Dean Nickal January 14, 1996 Rifle, Colorado, U.S. |
| Other names | The Allen Assassin |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Middleweight (2021–present) |
| Style | Wrestling |
As a collegiate wrestler, Nickal was a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion (finalist in 2016) and a three-time Big Ten Conference champion out of Pennsylvania State University.
Considered one of the most accomplished Nittany Lions of all-time, Nickal earned the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate wrestler, was a two-time Schalles Award winner as the nation’s best pinner and was also named the 2019 Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
Nickal was born in Rifle, Colorado, but moved to Wyoming at a young age, where he started wrestling around five or six years old.
In fifth grade, he moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Nickal made the varsity high school team while in the eighth grade and placed second at the state tournament that same season (2009–10).
Bo Nickal Sherdog
On November 10, 2019, it was announced that Nickal had signed an MMA management deal with First Round Management, expecting to make the transition to the sport.
It was also announced that Nickal had serious plans on partnering with Dan Lambert and opening a new American Top Team facility at Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania.
| Mixed martial arts record | |
|---|---|
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Losses | 0 |
The building process started on October 23, 2020, and the gym became active on July 2, 2021.
After the 2020 US Olympic Trials for wrestling, Nickal made his amateur mixed martial arts debut against David Conley on September 24, 2021, winning via arm-triangle choke submission in round one.
In his next bout, Nickal scored a one-punch knockout over Billy Goode on November 5, 2021.
Nickal made his professional MMA debut in the middleweight division against John Noland on June 3, 2022 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia as part of Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC event. Nickal won the fight via knockout less than a minute into the first round.
Contender series
Three-time NCAA national champion wrestler Bo Nickal made short work of opponent Zach Borrego, submitting his foe with a rear-naked choke a mere 62 seconds into the contest.
To give you an idea of how highly touted Nickal was, he closed as a -2800 favorite according to the broadcast.
Borrego missed the middleweight limit on Monday, and wasn’t competitive for even a second of Tuesday’s fight.
The former Penn State star is now 2-0 in his burgeoning professional MMA career, having won his debut via 33-second KO in Virginia just a couple of months ago.
He had a couple of amateur MMA fights before turning pro and won them both in the opening round.
In the lead-up to this fight, Nickal said to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn that he could see himself competing twice on Contender Series before a UFC debut later in the year.
So with that in mind it’s not too surprising that during the awarding of contracts, Dana White told UFC analyst and reporter Laura Sanko that Nickal will make another appearance on the show, and if he wins that (and presumably in impressive fashion) it’s off to the big leagues he goes.
Bo Nickal mma fight
Former college wrestling champion Bo Nickal won his second MMA fight Tuesday night during his fight against Zachary Borrego at Dana White’s Contender Series, exciting MMA fans rooting for arguably the greatest college wrestler of all time on the professional stage.
It only took Nickal 62 seconds to defeat Borrego with a guillotine choke, resulting in a first-round submission.
Despite the dominating win Tuesday night, White did not offer Nickal a UFC contract yet. White invited him back to another DWCS fight, and if he is able to win that one, then Nickal will earn a contract.
The 26-year-old only made his professional MMA debut on June 3.
He faced John Noland in the middleweight division at Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC event. Nickal won in less than a minute by a knockout.
Nickal wrestled at Penn State and captured three Division I national championship titles (2017, ‘18, ‘19). In his freshman year, he earned silver for the national title. He also earned three Big Ten championships, earning bronze in ‘17.