Former Penn State Wrestler Bo Nickal Roars Onto The UFC Scene With Highest Debut Honor

Bo Nickal’s “Championship-Level Clout” faces a severe threat in 2024. The odds are stacked in his favor as the MMA rookie takes on the fabled UFC middleweight Cody Brundage. Although the former Penn State standout has enjoyed an undefeated record since joining the UFC in 2022, Brundage’s 10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC legacy in the octagon has subdued his rise.

DraftKings has announced the former Nittany Lion’s line at 1450 against his sizeable opponent’s +750 odds. However, prior to his first assignment of the year, Bo Nickal achieved a remarkable new milestone, adding another layer to his already impressive tenure in the MMA arena.

Bo Nickal wins Rookie Of The Year Award

The 27-year-old former wrestler turned fighter was nominated for the 2023 ESPN MMA Rookie Of The Year award following his UFC 290 bout. His athletic pedigree shone through the first two amateur fights, but his formal professional debut in the MMA realm happened with the 33-second knockout. This awe-inspiring bout earned him a place in the UFC’s Contender Series, and he climbed up the ladder with two more fights.

He debuted in the UFC in March and upheld his winning streak against Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn. Now, as he is sailing towards the UFC 300 against Cody Brundage, ESPN gave him another reason to celebrate. ESPN MMA congratulated Bo Nickal on winning the 2023 Rookie Of The Year award on their Instagram page.

The post featured a captivating image of the fighter radiating strength, accompanied by the announcement of his remarkable accomplishment. ESPN MMA captioned the picture, “2023 welcomed the debut of one of UFC’s hottest prospects, @nobickal1”.

With his stellar track record as an NCAA wrestler, Bo Nickal is primed to become the UFC champion in the upcoming season. However, this pivot came at the cost of a very personal loss.

Bo Nickal’s game-changing pivot

As the Penn State standout wrestler, Bo Nickal was nourishing the Olympic dream in his heart. With three NCAA titles under his belt, his chances of making the U.S. squad were high. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics trials, Bo Nickal was one of the frontrunners in his weight class. Nickal won three bouts in the qualifying rounds. Regrettably, he suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of David Taylor in the final rounds.

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Bo Nickal did not want to wait four years for another shot at the Olympics. Therefore, with a heavy heart, he abandoned his wrestling mat to enter the MMA training ground in Florida. He has had to evolve a lot to replace the wrestler within himself with the fighter. Now, as the world draws closer to another Olympics, his fans are conflicted about their feelings.

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