Bo Nickal
UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal believes that his teammate Bo Nickal can be one of the toughest fighters to face in the UFC roster
Bo Nickal is an American professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the middleweight division. Famously known for coaching Jorge Masvidal during his Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington fight camp, Nickal is amongst the fresh wave of high pedigree wrestlers who are making the switch to MMA.
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. He was also a two-time Schalles Award winner as the nation’s best pinner and was also named the 2019 Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
Currently, he has two amateur MMA fights under his belt. He made his MMA debut in September 2021, and won the fight by submission. He won his second match by knockout, before the UFC quickly scouted the hot prospect into their roaster.
He recently posted a tweet saying that he’s the best wrestler to transition into the UFC, and his teammate Jorge Masvidal resonates with the idea. In a video posted by Ariel Helwani, Masvidal retweeted it with the caption,
‘Told you he’s gonna be a problem
@NoBickal’
Jorge Masvidal is currently facing three felony charges for his assault of arch-nemesis Colby Covington at a restaurant in Miami. He lost to Covington in a lopsided contest at UFC 272, after signing a lucrative new contract with the UFC.
The Stockton slugger Nate Diaz has his sights set on a move away from the sport, with a feasible jump to boxing. The younger Diaz brother was among the first wave of fighters that set motion the fighter pay dispute. He has been vocal about his contract with the UFC, and along with his brother Nick, became the first of a very elite group of fighters to negotiate PPV points into their contract without a belt.
It’s being rumoured that the UFC is stalling Diaz’s move by offering him difficult fights like Khamzat Chimaev, while he has been throwing names at the UFC top brass for his last fight.
Jorge Masvidal had shared the octagon with Nate Diaz at UFC 244 and dominated pretty much the entire fight for the three rounds that it lasted. However, the fight was stopped due to a doctor stoppage for a cut above Diaz’s eye. Many believe that the fight was prematurely stopped and that Nate Diaz is famously known to get stronger in the later rounds. His fight against Leon Edwards reminded the world of the famed Diaz cardio when he almost knocked out Edwards in the fifth round after being battered for the remainder of the fight.
Reacting to the Diaz saga, Masvidal said, “I think he’s got too much CTE to even understand what they’re putting in front of him. Normally I don’t take the UFC’s side as you know, but from what I’ve heard and seen, this guy just has a f*cking ego bro. Like just f*cking fight. I can send him off in his last fight with all that s*it talk he’s been doing lately. I wouldn’t mind breaking his jaw and sending him off to whatever gambling casino he’s going to be fighting at.”
Jorge Masvidal continued, “I don’t mind, but he won’t sign when my name gets brought up. He goes ghost on Hunter [Campbell], he goes ghost on all the matchmakers for a couple of weeks when my name gets brought up. So, it’s whatever man. And, if he’s hearing this and he’s going to go make a little stupid tweet and go down the whole thing, b*tch sign the paper and let’s fight man.”
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