After months of anticipation, Bo Nickal is finally making his UFC debut.
Here we go!!! #ufc #bonickal pic.twitter.com/5c34NGavX8
— Jason Nickal (@Iron_Eagle_5) March 4, 2023
Nickal, a Penn State wrestling legend, was supposed to debut in December.
But an injury forced him to withdraw.
Now, the fight night is here, and it will take place at UFC 285.
Nickal weighed in at 185.5 pounds for his long-awaited bout with Jamie Pickett, a 34-year-old who comes in with a 13-8 record.
Nickal is 3-0 in his professional career. He had one fight under his belt before competing in Dana White’s Contender Series this past summer. Nickal submitted Zachary Borrego and Donovan Beard in a combined 1:54 to earn himself a UFC contract.
At Penn State, Nickal became one of the greatest college wrestlers ever. He won three national championships and was a national runner-up the year he didn’t win. Nickal ended his college career with a 120-3 record and moved into MMA after graduation. Nickal also met his now-wife at Penn State, another All-American in Maddie Holmberg.
The two are a Penn State power couple.
“They strive to be the best in whatever they are doing, and they are willing to do the work to become the best,” Maddie’s father, Rob, who played at Navy and later Penn State in the early 90s before playing eight seasons in the NFL, told NIttany Sports Now via email last summer. “They see it in each other, and not only do they appreciate it, but it makes them work harder.”
It’s a big weekend for Penn State sports. Nickal’s fight coincides with the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which No. 1 Penn State has a great chance of winning for the first time since 2019, Nickal’s senior season. Additionally, Penn State basketball, currently on the NCAA Tournament bubble, has a massive season finale against Maryland at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday scheduled to tip-off at noon.
Bo Nickal comes into the fight -2200 according to FanDual Sportsbook, so it’s safe to say he’s supposed to win big. Here’s how to watch UFC 285.
WHEN: 10 p.m. (main card)
WHERE: Las Vegas
TV: ESPN+, PPV
