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Bo Nickal Returns After First Pro Defeat

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 11:25 PM ET

Highly touted middleweight prospect Bo Nickal is set to return to action at UFC 322 in New York on Nov. 15, marking his first fight since suffering the first loss of his MMA career. The three time NCAA wrestling champion will face fellow grappling ace Rodolfo Vieira in what promises to be a stylistic chess match on the mat.

Nickal stormed into the UFC as one of the promotion’s most hyped signings, rattling off four straight wins after only three pro fights before joining the roster. That momentum stalled in May when he was knocked out by Reinier de Ridder, who handed him his first professional setback. The bout with Vieira is Nickal’s chance to bounce back and re-establish himself as one of the division’s top prospects.

Bo Nickal returns against Rodolfo Vieira at #UFC322 in New York City

Who wins and how?? pic.twitter.com/xoukHy6TdT

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 16, 2025

Vieira Brings World-Class Grappling Credentials

Vieira (3-1 in his last four UFC fights) is a decorated jiu-jitsu player with a résumé that includes a 2015 ADCC world championship. Known as “The Black Belt Hunter,” he has steadily built momentum inside the Octagon and will look to use his submission skills to test Nickal’s vaunted wrestling pedigree.

Additional Fights on the Card

UFC 322 is shaping up to be a blockbuster event, featuring two championship bouts and several high-profile matchups:

MAIN EVENT: Jack Della Maddalena (c) vs. Islam Makhachev – Welterweight Title
CO-MAIN EVENT: Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Zhang Weili – Flyweight Title
Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez
Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico

A Pivotal Night for Nickal

For Nickal, UFC 322 represents both risk and opportunity. A second straight loss could slow his fast-track rise, while a statement win over Vieira would cement his place among the UFC’s elite middleweights. With two title fights headlining and a deep undercard, the Madison Square Garden card has all the makings of one of 2025’s premier UFC events.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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