Former college wrestling standout Bo Nickal returns to action at UFC 309 as the undefeated MMA prospect faces the toughest test of his fighting career, Scottish submission specialist Paul Craig.
It’s a matchup that will pit two legitimate martial arts specialists head to head in a bout that could propel the winner towards contender status in the UFC’s 185-pound division.
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Bo Nickal faces the biggest test of his MMA career at UFC 309
Nickal is one of the most decorated wrestlers to compete in the UFC. A high school wrestling star who became one of the best college wrestlers in the United States, Nickal captured the prestigious Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s best wrestler at the end of a 2018-19 season that saw him capture the NCAA Division I title for Penn State.
Later that year, Nickal signed with MMA management company First Round Management and started preparing for a transition to MMA while continuing his wrestling career.
His quest to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games fell agonizingly short, as he lost out to his Penn State contemporary and 2018 world champion, David Taylor, in the finals of the US Olympic Trials. Shortly after, he stepped into the cage for the first time and claimed a submission victory under amateur MMA rules. A 56-second knockout win followed less than two months later.
Nickal quickly turned pro and claimed a 33-second KO victory on a fight card run by former UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal. That alerted the UFC’s matchmakers, who invited him to showcase his skills on Dana White’s Contender Series. Unsurprisingly, Nickal shone.
A 62-second submission victory in August 2022 made his signing a mere formality. But, rather than immediately handing him a UFC contract, UFC bosses invited him back for another Contender Series appearance. Remarkably, he secured victory even faster in his second appearance as he claimed a triangle-choke submission of Cage Fury Fighting Championships middleweight champion Donovan Beard in just 52 seconds. Nickal’s case was undeniable, and he signed with the UFC. Since then, it’s been plain sailing for the former wrestler. A first-round arm-triangle choke finish of Jamie Pickett got his UFC career off to a flying start, and a 38-second TKO of an outmatched Val Woodburn only added to Nickal’s growing momentum.
Nickal’s most recent outing saw him face his first major test in the Octagon as he took on fellow former wrestler Cody Brundage at UFC 300. It saw Nickal reach the second round for the first time in his career, but a rear-naked choke gave him his sixth consecutive victory.
Nickal’s form prompted calls for him to be given higher-grade opposition, and he’ll get exactly that at UFC 309, where he’s set to face Craig in a main card matchup at 185 pounds.
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Paul Craig targeting statement win over Bo Nickal at UFC 309
While Nickal is still in the early stages of his pro-MMA career, Craig is a seasoned veteran. The Scot cut his teeth on the UK regional scene, capturing the light heavyweight titles for FightStar Championship and BAMMA as he raced to an unblemished 8-0 record.
That saw Craig earn his chance with the UFC, and he delivered on his debut by submitting Brazil’s Henrique da Silva via armbar submission to claim an eye-catching victory and secure a Performance of the Night bonus.
Stoppage losses to fellow rising prospects Tyson Pedro and Khalil Rountree Jr halted that momentum. Things looked to be going from bad to worse when he faced undefeated Russian phenom Magomed Ankalaev in London in March 2018.
In a one-sided contest, Craig was dominated by Ankalaev, who appeared to be cruising to a shutout decision victory on the scorecards. But, with the final seconds counting down, Craig gave the world their first glimpse of his signature move as he claimed one of the most dramatic come-from-behind wins in UFC history.
With Ankalaev on top of the Scot, landing heavy ground strikes, Craig threw up his legs, locked up a triangle choke submission and forced Ankalaev to tap out with one second left on the clock. It was a stunning victory – and remains Ankalaev’s lone defeat. It saw Craig bag another post-fight bonus, and proved to the world that he’s capable of winning a fight out of nothing, even from his back. Craig’s grapple-heavy fighting style meant that his opponents have taken different approaches against him, and the Scot alternated wins and losses through the four bouts that followed his victory over Ankalaev.
A split draw with UFC Hall of Famer and former world champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua led to a rematch a year later, which Craig won to claim another huge scalp. He then finished future 205-pound champion Jamahal Hill and Ukrainian stalwart Nikita Krylov. But after claiming just one win from his last five outings, Craig needs a big win to right the ship.
Now competing at middleweight and sitting at 1-2 as a UFC 185-pounder, Craig is hoping that he can bounce back at UFC 309 with a statement-making win over one of the hottest prospects in the sport.
UFC 309: Full fight card
Main card
- Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for undisputed heavyweight title
- Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler – lightweight
- Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva – women’s flyweight
- Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig – middleweight
- Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders – middleweight
Preliminary card
- Mauricio Ruffy vs. James Llontop – lightweight
- Marcin Tybura vs. Jhonata Diniz – heavyweight
- Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov – light heavyweight
- Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee – bantamweight
Early prelims
- Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson – lightweight
- David Onama vs. Lucas Almeida – featherweight
- Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj – welterweight
- Bassil Hafez vs. Oban Elliott – welterweight
- Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura – women’s flyweight
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