Bo Nickal’s first MMA loss may have been a blessing in disguise.
The decorated wrestler and blue-chip UFC prospect rebounded in thunderous fashion Saturday night at UFC 322, knocking out Rodolfo Vieira with a third-round head kick before flipping off the crowd inside New York’s Madison Square Garden.
A three-time NCAA Division I national champion and 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s best collegiate wrestler, Nickal (8-1) entered the UFC in 2023 with a groundswell of hype as one of the sport’s most talented prospects. However, his undefeated run came to a halt against Reinier de Ridder in May.
One left high kick was all it took Saturday night for Nickal to regain his lost momentum.
“That’s the game,” Nickal said post-fight. “I’ve lost a lot since I was a young kid and they always hit me hard, but guess what? I always bounce back and I keep coming, because I live for this, I love it. This is the most fun job in the world. And we’re on ESPN so I can’t curse, but frick you motherfrickers for booing me and then cheering me,” he added. “Figure it out—either love me or hate me. Pick one.”
Nickal’s comments toward the New York crowd came after boos rained down on both him and Vieira during the later stages of their middleweight bout, despite the fact that the two competitors had delivered a fairly spirited affair up to that point.
Nickal bloodied Vieira on the feet in the opening two rounds, outstriking the Brazilian 94-31, and successfully fended off all six of Vieira’s takedown attempts.
After his brutal fight-winning sequence, Nickal promptly flipped off the fans, a moment highlighted by UFC commentator Joe Rogan during the broadcast.
https://sports.yahoo.com/mma/breaking-news/article/ufc-322-results-bo-nickal-scores-monster-head-kick-ko-flips-off-msg-crowd-for-thunderous-rebound-from-first-loss-031312188.html