Why you should be excited for Bo Nickal’s debut at UFC 285

Bo Nickal is one of the most decorated wrestlers in NCAA history. He is a three-time national champion, a three-time Big Ten champion, and a Hodge Trophy winner. He has also won a U23 world championship and a US Open national championship in freestyle wrestling. He is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers of his generation.

But Nickal is not just a wrestler. He is also an up-and-coming mixed martial artist who has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He made his professional MMA debut in June 2022, scoring a first-round knockout victory over John Noland at Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC 3. He followed that up with a first-round submission win over Zachary Borrego at Dana White’s Contender Series 49 in August and then again secured another win on the Contender Series, beating Donovan Beard by first-round submission.

Now Nickal is ready to make his UFC debut against Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. Nickal vs. Pickett will be part of the pay-per-view main card and the only way to watch is by ordering the official ESPN+ PPV live stream.

This is a fight that you should not miss for several reasons.

First of all, Nickal is an exciting fighter who brings a lot of intensity and aggression to the cage. He does not shy away from striking exchanges and has shown impressive power and accuracy with his punches and kicks. He also has a killer instinct when he gets his opponents to the ground, where he unleashes vicious ground-and-pound and looks for submissions.

Secondly, Nickal is a confident fighter who does not back down from any challenge. He has called out some of the top names in the middleweight division, including Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya whom he criticized for their grappling skills. He believes he has what it takes to beat anyone in his weight class and become a UFC champion. Nickal is in the news this week after calling for a megafight with Khamzat Chimaev.

Thirdly, Nickal is a potential star who could attract a lot of fans and attention to the sport. He has a charismatic personality and a loyal fan base from his wrestling days. He also recently signed an endorsement deal with Betr, a sports betting platform that provides exclusive content and coverage of his MMA career. He could be one of the next big things in MMA if he lives up to his hype.

Finally, Nickal is facing a tough opponent who will test him in his UFC debut. Jamie Pickett is an experienced fighter who has been competing professionally since 2011. He has fought six times in the UFC so far, winning two fights by decision. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Denis Tiuliulin at UFC 279 last year.

Pickett is a well-rounded fighter who can strike and grapple effectively. He has good size and reach for the middleweight division and will try to use them to keep Nickal at bay. He also has decent takedown defense and submission skills that could pose problems for Nickal’s wrestling game.

Nickal vs. Pickett is an intriguing matchup that could produce fireworks at UFC 285. Fans are expecting a dominant performance from Nickal but stranger things have happened in mixed martial arts.

Don’t miss this fight on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Order the UFC 285 fight card on ESPN+ PPV to watch every fight live including the return of Jon Jones.