Credit: Imago Credit: Imago

Dana White Gives Bo Nickal’s Spotlight to Deserving Lightweights by Changing UFC 322 Lineup

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 10:05 AM ET

“He was saying that he’s going to be champion in like two years… He was delusional, you know what I mean? He’s not on the level,” said UFC middleweight star Caio Borralho, taking aim at fellow fighter Bo Nickal, once hailed by fans and POTUS Donald Trump due to his spectacular NCAA wrestling credentials. For a while, everything appeared to be falling perfectly into place for the 29-year-old UFC prospect, who carried massive hype into each fight. However, one tough loss forced the wrestling prodigy to reassess and go back to the drawing board.

But at UFC Des Moines in May, that momentum came to a crashing halt when veteran Reinier de Ridder knocked Nickal out cold in the second round. The shocking defeat triggered a wave of backlash, with fans labeling Nickal as one of the most “overrated” fighters in the division. It must be why a few weeks ago, when the NCAA wrestling star was added to the main card of the UFC 322 at MSG in New York, fans were left triggered with many asking him to be pushed down below. It appears Dana White has heeded the demands of the fans.

Bo Nickal loses spot on UFC 322 main card

Latest reports confirm that the UFC 322 main card will now kick off with 155-pounders Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint-Denis in the championship rounds, as revealed: “

Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira has been demoted to the prelims of #UFC322 Beneil Dariush vs Benoit Saint-Denis will now open the main card.” Meanwhile, the card features two major title fights at Madison Square Garden: Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title, and Valentina Shevchenko vs Zhang Weili for the women’s flyweight crown.

Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira has been demoted to the prelims of #UFC322

Beneil Dariush vs Benoit Saint-Denis will now open the main card pic.twitter.com/WfuUfOqdue

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 2, 2025

Although he has been away from the Octagon since his loss to RDR, the middleweight contender recently returned to competition in an RAF wrestling match against Jacob Cardenas, where he earned a decision win. Nickal currently holds a 4-1 record in the UFC. He made the leap to Dana White’s Contender Series after just one pro MMA fight, a rapid rise that many believe fueled some early overconfidence, something Nickal has since admitted.