Bo Nickal pushes back on critics ahead of UFC White House bout
Bo Nickal says critics discount decades of work when they question his place on the UFC White House card.
The middleweight contender faces Kyle Daukaus on June 14 in what marks another high-profile booking for Nickal, who believes fan complaints overlook his wrestling résumé. According to Sherdog, Nickal addressed the backlash in a recent UFC interview, noting he has been refining his combat skills since childhood. "I think a lot of people think that I haven't earned this spot," he said. "What they don't realize is that I have been working at my craft and dedicated to it since five years old."
Nickal says UFC controls his matchmaking decisions
The Penn State product pointed out that he does not choose his opponents or card placements. "I'm not the one that makes the decisions on where I'm at in the card or what cards I'm fighting at," Nickal told the promotion. He added that since joining the roster, the UFC tells him when and whom he fights — and his response is always the same: "Let's go."
Nickal entered the UFC in 2022 after earning his contract with two first-round Contender Series finishes. The three-time NCAA Division I champion stopped three of his first four UFC opponents before Reinier de Ridder handed him his lone career loss last year. Nickal rebounded with a head-kick knockout of Rodolfo Vieira and now carries an 8-1 record into the Daukaus fight.
Daukaus holds a 17-4 mark and represents Nickal's next test on a seven-fight White House card that has drawn attention for its historic venue.
Original reporting:
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