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Bo Nickal On Abandoning Wrestling At UFC 309: ‘A Great Step In The Right Direction’

ByAndrew RavensMixed Martial Arts Journalist

Bo Nickal secured another impressive victory earlier this month at UFC 309, defeating Paul Craig on the main card at Madison Square Garden.

This win added to Nickal’s growing undefeated record, which now includes four victories under the UFC banner. His previous finishes came against Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage.

While many expected Nickal to lean on his world-class wrestling skills in the Craig fight, he surprised fans by focusing on his striking. This decision drew mixed reactions from fight fans, some of whom questioned his strategy.

However, Nickal defended his approach during an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, expressing joy about his performance.

I think that this last fight, even though people didn’t love the performance, was a great step in the right direction,” Nickal said. “I dominated a veteran — a guy who has 26 fights — for three straight rounds just using striking. I didn’t even use my biggest asset. I think people now are saying, ‘Oh, Bo, he can’t wrestle,’ this or that. Bro, trust me, I can wrestle.

BO NICKAL: UFC 309 Fans, Next Fight, Wrestling to MMA || Pound 4 Pound Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo

Nickal reassured fans that his wrestling remains a key weapon in his arsenal and promised to continue dominating opponents in future fights.

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