Penn State wrestling icon Bo Nickal announces next UFC bout
Former Penn State All-American wrestler and national champion Bo Nickal looks to continue his rise after leaving State College by making a career in the sport of mixed martial arts. It will be his second bout both for the leading MMA promotion the UFC and in 2023.
Nickal will take on Tresean Gore at UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be a pay-per-view event taking place within the T-Mobile Arena. The promotion is also once again putting him on a prominent card that features a title fight with one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Nickal made his UFC debut at UFC 285, where he defeated Jamie Pickett in the first round with a triangle choke. Pickett objected to the result by filing an appeal stating the finish to the fight started from a low blow. The Nevada state athletic commission didn’t agree and his record remains undefeated at 4-0.
Nickal’s opponent Tresean Gore is a name that is a boost in competition as well as a boost in notoriety. He was on the UFC’s flagship show “The Ultimate Fighter” and was a fan favorite on the show. The promotion is making the matchmaking moves that they are with prominent opponents and big fight cards as to further Nickal as a star that they believe in.
They did this all once before with another Penn State wrestler in Phil Davis who eventually became a world champion. They hope Nickal can do the same.
