Ahead of his pro-MMA debut in June, we take a look at the credentials and background of wrestler, Bo Nickal
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.
As a freestyle wrestler, 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. 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.[2]
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. UFC Fight Pass first reported the news with the caption,
‘BREAKING NEWS
3x National Champion @NoBickal is OFFICIALLY making his pro MMA debut on #UFCFIGHTPASS!’
Bo Nickal’s relationship with Jorge Masvidal and American Top Team
In November 2019, Nickal signed an MMA contract with First Round Management- a company that also manages UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal. He trains actively at the American Top Team Gym, and has helped Masvidal prepare actively for his fights against Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.
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. The building process started on October 23, 2020, and the gym became active on July 2, 2021. Masvidal has praised Nickal’s work ethic in the past, and said that his transition to MMA would be a cakewalk.
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