Bo Nickal ‘blessed’ to compete at UFC Freedom 250

Bo Nickal returns to the UFC octagon Sunday night at UFC Freedom 250, which takes place at the White House. The former Penn State wrestling standout will take on Kyle Daukaus (17-4), who’s in the middle of a six-fight win streak.

Nickal returned to form with a KO win in December to improve to 8-1 in his MMA career following his first career loss. A fast riser in the sport, Nickal was humbled by Reinier de Ridder (No. 8 at middleweight) and the three-time NCAA champion heard the criticism.

But with another win under his belt, Nickal has an opportunity to showcase his skills in what could be the biggest platform in UFC history. It’s a once in a lifetime moment.

“It’s a massive opportunity, so I feel really blessed,” Nickal said, via The New York Post. “To be able to go compete at an event like this is such an honor, so I feel like I put a ton of effort into this [training] camp, and I want to make sure that I put on a good performance.”

If it’s anything like his last fight, you can expect Nickal’s performance to make the highlight reel. But it was after his first loss Nickal found himself a very reflective fighter and received a lot of support. In his four seasons at Penn State, Nickal compiled a 120-3 record, won three NCAA titles (two at 184 pounds and one at 197 pounds), was a four-time All-American (national finalist in 2016 at 174 pounds) and finished his career on a 67-match winning streak, so losses rarely happened.

“I got more support through messages, through in-person support after my loss than after any of my wins,” Nickal said on Hang Out with Sean Hannity. “At least double the amount of messages … It made me so appreciative, and I was just like, ‘Wow, like I’m shocked,’ because I’ve heard horror stories of fighters, you know, they lose the fight, and then everyone’s gone. And for me, it was the opposite. 

“I had people texting me that I hadn’t talked to in 10 years. They were like, hey, like, you know, just wanted to send some support your way, like, we still believe in you, these types of things. Like, it was crazy. I couldn’t believe it, but it was a blessing … You always have to use your struggles and your failures as motivation. I’ve always done that.”

UFC Freedom 250 begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Nickal is slated to be the second fight of the evening.