Bo Nickal Prepares for UFC 322 Fight
A year back, Bo Nickal exited Madison Square Garden as an undefeated fighter, having just secured his seventh professional win.
Now, he’s back in New York for his fight at UFC 322 against renowned jiu-jitsu champion Rodolfo Vieira, but this time, he doesn’t have that glimmer that comes from an unblemished MMA record.
His TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder in May was a tough pill to swallow, but he seems to be handling it well.
“Setbacks are part of life, for me and for everyone else. It’s something I’m used to,” Nickal reflected during a media day in Midtown Manhattan. He recalled his only NCAA wrestling tournament defeat at the Garden in 2016, saying, “Losing in the national finals, losing in the Olympic selection finals—those are experiences I can look at with gratitude.”
Even though he lost to the experienced de Ridder—who had a shot at a middleweight title before his own loss—Nickal maintained his characteristic calm confidence.
This time, he approaches setbacks differently. Now, as a nearly 30-year-old husband and father, he processes frustration more maturely than when he was a 20-year-old star at Penn State.
“It’s different now. Of course, I feel some frustration and embarrassment. But when I was younger, I’d get really down about losses, like everything was riding on that moment,” he said. “As I age, I’ve come to understand that things often don’t go as planned. So, I can quickly refocus and use that as motivation.”
Regardless of his defeat, he still enjoys support from the wrestling community, recognized as one of the top NCAA wrestlers to transition into fighting.
However, he feels his relationship with the broader MMA fanbase is a bit more complex. “Honestly, I think many MMA fans didn’t like me when I first joined the sport for various reasons,” Nickal remarked. “I try not to let their opinions weigh too heavily on me since they can be so easily influenced.”
At least his victory last year at The Garden against submission specialist Paul Craig didn’t exactly win him a ton of new fans. Many spectators were left unimpressed by what they considered a fairly mundane kickboxing match that stretched on for 15 minutes.
But Nickal seems unfazed by fan opinions, focusing on his own goals. “For me, it’s about going out there and executing what I’ve practiced,” he stated. “What happens in the fight is up to the spectators.”
This weekend offers him a chance to bounce back in a matchup that brings to mind the early days of the UFC. Nickal will face Vieira, a submission expert, matching his decorated wrestling background against Vieira’s skills.
“I’ve been looking forward to this fight for a long time,” he said. “It’s a compelling matchup. It definitely has that old-school UFC feel. Who will prevail—the wrestler or the jiu-jitsu specialist? We’ll find out, and I’m proud to represent wrestling.”
Regardless of the outcome, Nickal recognizes he’s still early in his MMA journey and hopes to fight more frequently than the customary twice a year since his debut in 2023.
He has a particular motivation, wanting to ensure he’s part of the UFC White House event in front of President Donald Trump, a friend of his.
“This is a significant opportunity that’ll be historic, so I definitely want to be on that card,” Nickal expressed. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
