Bo Nickal is taking a step up into the ranks of the pros.
At the upcoming Jorge Masvidalās iKon Fighting Federation event, Nickal (0-0) will make his professional MMA debut when he takes on John Noland (0-0) in a middleweight bout. The card takes place June 3 at Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Va. and streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Nickal, 26, went 2-0 as an amateur after he entered the world of MMA with his debut in September 2021. Both of his fights ended inside the distance with one first-round submission and one violently devastating knockout.
Spotlighted long before his MMA career kicked off, Nickal was a three-time Division-I national champion and three-time Big Ten conference champion for Penn State. He won a national championship and an under-23 world championship, both in 2019 in the 92kg (202.8-pound) weight class. He finished college with a 120-3 record, including a combined 61-0 record in his junior and senior years.
In 2019, Nickal earned the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy, an accolade awarded to the nationās best wrestler. He also twice won the Schalles Award, an honor given to the nationās best pinner. In addition, in 2019 he was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year. Nickal is a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and trains at American Top Team in South Florida.
As for his opponent, Noland, who has also gone by the name John Conner, is 36 years old and based out of Alabama. He has a 6-3 record as an amateur, but has lost three of his most recent four outings. Three of his six amateur wins have come inside the distance with two submissions and one stoppage due to strikes.
Iām curious why he hasnāt gone the Olympics route first? Presumably as a wrestler the chance to win an Olympic medal would be pretty enticing.
Looks like they gave him a favorable matchup.
Pretty sure David Taylor got in his way. And he obviously wants to fight and not continue to just focus on wrestling.
iKon?
Is that Jorgeās way of telling us heās a con and canāt spell either?
YESSSSSSSS
That Criminal has a business License to Promote MMA Fights
World class jiu jitsuā¦and still has no ability to preform a proper take down. And noā¦ butt-scooting doesnāt count. Itās actually kinda pathetic.
In a wrestling match, I would bet the house that Bo would tech or pin him in the first period.
You are right about Taylor being in the way.
His reason to fight instead of chasing world/Olympic gold is probably time. Itās likely he would have to wait 3-5 years to firmly take Taylorās spot. Maybe more. Taylor is in his prime and shows no sign of slowing down at this point. In that time Bo can build a solid foundation in mma and make a good amount of money, as heās one of the more accomplished wrestlers weāve seen in mma and will pull numbers.
Iām very interested to see how he does moving forward. Iām not expecting perfection but Iām hoping he takes a move reserved competition until heās actually ready.
OK do realize I am trolling but I am curious to what youāre gonna say.ā¦ Is it smart to attempt to take down on a world-class wrestler? Wouldnāt you just want to butt scoot to see what he does?
He looked good, but the guy he beat looked like a lawn mower repairman who got so hammered on Friday night at a bar that he took off his shirt and tried to fight a mannequin
I mean, if you look at most any prospectās first fight its always a favorable matchup. Youāre just trying to get your guy used to fight night routine and protocol.
Poetry
Totally, and for a guy that we know to be a wrestler of his caliber to look that smooth standing up is super impressive for a first fight.
That said, he looked smooth standing up for a first fight, not for an elite level fighter.
Very early projection is he maybe tops out as a rich manās Chris Weidman.
Except with world class wrestling vs solid college level. If Bo lived anywhere outside of four countries heād been in the olympics.
I was actually going to make that exact post earlier this evening. Heās blocked in the us, iran, maybe Russia?
Anywhere else on Earth heās an Olympian, and maybe a medalist
The Indian or Iranian guy is a badass at that weight. Canāt remember which as Iām racist and they all look the same to me.