5. The Rise of Bo Nickal
The UFC just doesn’t do this.
The development of prospects from virtually 0-0 is a thing for other promotions. But the world’s largest MMA company? They are the ones who get to be the place to be for seasoned talents to showcase their skills. So to see the UFC so strongly behind Bo Nickal, to the extent of putting him on the pay-per-view main card of their centennial event ahead of no less than five former undisputed world champions, is almost show stopping in itself.
In his defense, it’s easy to see why. A former NCAA tournament champion, Nickal took to MMA like a proverbial fish to water, stopping his first three opponents in less than three combined minutes. The UFC, usually looking for more experienced talent, let Nickal onto Dana White’s Contender Series when he was just 1-0 and let him showcase his skills twice on the program before signing him outright. They continued to show full faith in him, putting both of his official fights with the promotion on pay-per-view.
Will Nickal go on to be that generational talent whose wrestling will wreak havoc on the competition for years to come? Only time will tell. The more experienced Cody Brundage has had weeks to prepare for the single role of playing spoiler. Brundage has bested former Ultimate Fighter standout Tresean Gore and enters UFC 300 riding back-to-back victories against Jacob Malkoun and Zach Reese.
But fighting Nickal will bring a different level of attention entirely. He’s been lined up to help propel the UFC’s next star higher, but instead he may have the stage of a lifetime to score an epic upset.
