Bo Nickal

Nickal took Daukaus to the canvas early and worked from top position, opening a cut on Daukaus's forehead. After referee Jason Herzog stood them up, Nickal connected with a right hook and follow-up left that put Daukaus down. Nickal followed with elbows and punches to seal the stoppage late in the first round.

Key moments

• Nickal took Daukaus down, worked from top position, and opened a cut on his forehead.
• Following the stand-up, Nickal's right hook and follow-up left put Daukaus on the deck.
• Nickal followed with elbows and punches to end the contest at 4:34 of round one.

After a slow, grappling-heavy bout that drew boos at Madison Square Garden, Nickal landed a perfectly timed left high kick in the third round that dropped Vieira cold, prompting an immediate stoppage. The knockout earned a Performance of the Night bonus and sent Vieira to the hospital.

Key moments

• Left high kick to the neck/head ended it instantly in Round 3
• Referee Dan Miragliotta waved it off at 4:44 of the final round
• Earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus
• Nickal climbed the cage and flipped off the booing NYC crowd post-fight

In a major upset, de Ridder out-struck Nickal and dropped him with a vicious second-round knee to the liver, forcing the stoppage and handing Nickal his first professional defeat. The loss exposed Nickal's striking and durability when unable to impose his wrestling.

Key moments

• de Ridder controlled the striking exchanges and pressured throughout
• A knee to the liver folded Nickal on the break early in Round 2
• Stoppage came at 1:53 of the second round

He neutralized Craig's dangerous submission game by dictating where the fight took place.

Key moments

• Used takedowns and top control to negate Craig's guard threats
• Unanimous decision across all three rounds
• Answered durability questions by going 15 minutes for the first time

On the UFC 300 card, Nickal took Brundage down, advanced position and locked up a rear-naked choke in the second round for the finish.

Key moments

• Took the back after dominant grappling exchanges
• Secured a rear-naked choke for the tap at 3:38 of Round 2
• Fought on the marquee UFC 300 card

Nickal needed just 38 seconds, dropping Woodburn with strikes and finishing with ground-and-pound for a first-round TKO.

Key moments

• Dropped Woodburn early with clean striking
• Finished with follow-up ground-and-pound
• First-round TKO at just 0:38

Nickal made his UFC debut at UFC 285 in Las Vegas, taking Pickett down almost immediately and working submissions throughout until locking an arm-triangle choke at 2:54 of Round 1. Notably, this fight lasted longer than all of Nickal's previous pro bouts combined.

Key moments

• UFC octagon debut, opening the UFC 285 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
• Dragged the fight to the canvas within seconds and dominated top position throughout.
• Arm-triangle choke forced the tap at 2:54 — longer than all his previous fights added together.
• Pickett was on a three-fight losing skid entering the bout; the result was never in doubt.

In his second DWCS appearance seven weeks after the Borrego win, Nickal followed an overhand left into a takedown, moved to mount and threatened a guillotine before rolling into a triangle choke that forced the tap at 52 seconds.

Key moments

• A -3500 betting favorite, Nickal validated the hype with another sub-minute finish.
• Overhand left set up an immediate takedown; mounted guillotine attempt transitioned smoothly to a triangle.
• Triangle choke secured the tap at 0:52 of Round 1.

Despite the dominant performance, Dana White opted to book Nickal for a second DWCS fight rather than sign him immediately, wanting to see more.

Key moments

• Takedown came within five seconds of the opening bell, showcasing elite wrestling speed.
• Took Borrego's back and finished with a rear-naked choke at 1:02 of Round 1.
• Dana White praised him as 'one of the hottest prospects in the sport' but required a second DWCS appearance before offering a contract.

Nickal made his professional MMA debut at Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC 3 event in Richmond, Virginia, stopping fellow debutant John Noland with punches 33 seconds into the first round. He landed a hard left that wobbled Noland before closing with a three-punch combination for the finish.

Key moments

• Pro MMA debut for Nickal, headlining an event promoted by Jorge Masvidal in Richmond, Virginia.
• Both fighters were making their professional debuts.
• A hard left immediately wobbled Noland; a short follow-up combination ended it at 0:33.