Standout collegiate wrestler Bo Nickal had a big (and just slightly controversial) UFC debut last month. Now, he has his second assignment set.
Nickal (4-0) will face Tresean Gore (4-2) in a middleweight match-up at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023.
Gore revealed in March that he had signed on to face Nickal; in a video appearance with betr released Friday, Nickal confirmed that match-up. “I’ll be fighting UFC 290, Las Vegas, July 8th against Tresean Gore,” the undefeated prospect acknowledged.
Nickal’s debut was a quick one, as he ran through Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 on March 4. An arm-triangle locked up the win for Nickal, though Pickett would later complain that a low blow had led to the takedown that set up the finish.
A three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champ, Nickal is one of the hottest prospects to enter the UFC in years.
Gore, meanwhile, will enter the fight off the first win of his UFC tenure. That came care of a submission victory against Josh Fremd last fall. Gore broke into the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter 29, and was expected to compete in the show’s finale, only for an injury to force him out of the fight.
He would eventually get a shot at the TUF 29 champ, Bryan Battle, losing a decision in their eventual meeting in February 2022.
The only other fight reported for UFC 290 thus far finds featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a title unification bout with interim champ Yair Rodriguez. The card takes place July 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
