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Bo Nickal returns after first MMA loss for dangerous next fight at UFC 322

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 8:48 AM ET

Bo Nickal will reportedly look to rebound from the first loss of his MMA career when he takes on Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 322.

Immediately one of the most-hyped prospects the sport had ever seen when he made the move to MMA, Nickal suffered an upset loss in his last outing when Reinier de Ridder stopped him in the second round of the UFC Des Moines co-main event in May.

The three-time NCAA Division 1 champion returned to wrestling last month when he defeated Jacob Cardenas in the co-main event of Real American Freestyle 1, and now Higor Ciconello reports that he'll head back to the UFC Octagon to face Vieira on November 15.

Bo Nickal Books Return Fight After First Loss

After finishing both of his amateur opponents inside the first round, Nickal made his pro MMA debut in 2022 and stopped John Noland with strikes in just 33 seconds at Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC 3.

The win, coupled with Nickal’s incredible wrestling pedigree, earned him a chance at a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series later that year. Dana White didn’t sign the 29-year-old outright after he submitted Zack Borrego in just over a minute, but the UFC CEO did offer him a contract after a 52-second submission win against Donovan Beard in a second DWCS appearance the following month.

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Nickal earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for submitting Jamie Pickett in his UFC debut in 2023 and defeated Val Woodburn in just 38 seconds in his sophomore outing in the Octagon. He improved to 7-0 with victories over Cody Brundage and Paul Craig in 2024, but former ONE Championship star de Ridder proved to be too much for him when the two middleweights met at UFC Des Moines in May.

Rodolfo Vieira May Welcome Ground Fight At UFC 322

It might not answer too many questions about how Nickal's striking has developed, but plenty of fans will be excited to see how a matchup between Nickal and Vieira plays out if the fight hits the ground.

Aplty-nicknamed “The Black Belt Hunter", Vieira is a four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and had already cemented an impressive legacy in combat sports before he decided to make the transition over to MMA in 2017.

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The 35-year-old joined the UFC in 2019 and has gone 6-3 with five of his wins coming via submission. Vieira won via decision for the first time in his most recent outing at UFC on ESPN: Taira vs. Park in May, where he defeated former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Tresean Gore.

Nickal vs. Vieira is a strong addition to what is undoubtedly going to be a stacked UFC 322 card. The event takes place at Madison Square Garden on November 15 and will see Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang try to become two-division UFC champions in the night’s main and co-main events when they challenge Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko.

UFC 322 Fight Card

• Main Event: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev – For the UFC Welterweight Championship

• Co-Main Event: Valentina Shechenko vs. Weili Zhang – For the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship

• Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez

• Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates

• Rodolfo Vieira vs. Bo Nickal