Bo Nickal made another statement last night on Dana White’s Contender Series when he took out Donovan Beard in just 52 seconds. He dropped Beard with the first punch he threw, then chained various submission attempts together before finally ending the fight with a perfectly-executed triangle choke.
Nickal has been one of the most touted prospects in the sport since transitioning from wrestling to score a knockout on Jorge Masvidal’s iKON FC only four months ago. He was subsequently granted a shot at the UFC on the third week of the Contender Series where he needed just one minute to submit Zachary Borrego. He was asked to return to secure his contract on the series finale—which he did.
Bo Nickal gets the tap in 57 seconds
The future @SpinninBackfist
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 28, 2022
With around two minutes of cage time, Nickal will be at a serious experience disadvantage against anyone he will face in the UFC. Although this hasn’t been a factor thus far, his competition will likely take a step up in his coming bouts. Below are five potential opponents for Bo Nickal’s UFC debut.
5. Gerald Meerschaert
Gerald Meerschaert is a veteran of 50 fights. He has competed against some of the top names in the UFC’s middleweight division and has operated as somewhat of a measuring stick for newcomers to the promotion. He is a telling test for any upcoming fighter.
While Meerschaert isn’t exactly a headlining star, he is undeniably a solid name on any resume. A win over Meerschaert would put to rest any claims that the difference in experience between Nickal and his peers is too much to overcome. This fight would be a suitable, incremental step up for Nickal’s debut.
4. Rodolfo Vieira
Bo Nickal is one of the most accomplished wrestlers to ever fight in the UFC. Rodolfo Vieira is one of the most accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners to ever fight in the UFC. The intrigue here is obvious. Vieira is an ADCC champion and has won everything you can win in BJJ. He is currently 8-2 in MMA, with a 60% win rate in the UFC.
He's a different level!
Learn how Rodolfo Vieira execute's his arm triangle 😳 #UFC258 pic.twitter.com/zEPMqQuiyZ
— UFC (@ufc) February 13, 2021
Nickal’s groundwork thus far has looked like an older brother bullying his siblings. This shouldn’t be possible against Rodolfo Vieira, and the threat this matchup poses would likely give us a chance to see what Nickal really has on the feet. Alternatively, it could be an incredible grappling match between two very different styles.
3. Nick Maximov
Nick Maximov is another alumnus of the Contender Series. He won on the show in 2020 as a 209-pound heavyweight but was not awarded a contract. He was however signed before he fought again and is currently 2-1 in the UFC. Perhaps most known as a teammate of Nate Diaz, he featured in headlines when Diaz suggested that Khamzat Chimaev face Maximov instead of himself—which seemingly came as a surprise to Maximov.
Maximov, who earned All-American honors in college, would serve as a good entry point into the promotion. Wary of feeding Nickal too much too soon, a bout between the two would be an easy way to gauge how he would fare against stiffer competition.
2. Andrei Petroski
Andrei Petroski broke into the UFC after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter in 2021. Despite exiting the tournament in the semi-finals, Petroski has stopped all three of his opponents since debuting against TUF housemate Micheal Gillmore. His most recent victory came in the first round against Nick Maximov, a fight in which he was a major underdog.
Petroski also utilizes a wrestling-focused approach, favoring takedowns and submissions over punches and kicks. However, he is proficient on the feet too. The fairly like-for-like style of Petroski and his similar rising-star status make this matchup both compelling and logical.
1. Joseph Pyfer
Joe Pyfer was signed to the UFC in the first week of the current season of Dana White’s Contender Series, just 9 weeks ago. He knocked out former LFA champion Ozzy Diaz to win his contract—the only fighter that week to do so. Pyfer continued to build his hype with a rapid six-week turnaround to stop Alen Amedovski in authoritative fashion.
BE. JOE. PYFER 💥
[ @Joe_Pyfer96 | #UFCVegas60 ] pic.twitter.com/a5aVWGzSUK
— UFC (@ufc) September 18, 2022
The UFC is often reluctant to pair potential future stars in hopes of the matchup serving more purpose later. However, the storyline of the latest season’s top two recruits meeting in the cage—both coming off back-to-back highlight reel finishes—could be too tantalizing to resist.
#DWCS Season 6
– 97 fighters
– 49 fights
– 43 contracts (+2 later)
– 32 finishes (22 KO’s/10 Subs)
– 17 decisions
– Quickest (T)KO: Claudio Ribeiro (25 secs)
– Quickest Sub: Sedriques Dumas (47 secs)
– Most wins (2): Bo Nickal
– Winners with still no UFC-contract: 4 fighters. pic.twitter.com/nOuhqN7cq6— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) September 28, 2022
