Three-time NCAA wrestling champion Bo Nickal is just a matter of days away from making his MMA debut in a semi-professional bout that will be streamed live on FITE TV. Nickal has been one of the most popular and successful wrestlers in recent memory before he made the unusual choice to compete against Gordon Ryan in a hybrid-rules grappling match at Third Coast Grappling 3. Nickal was always expected to lose against the greatest no gi grappler of all time but he actually put in an impressive performance in showcasing his takedowns and lasting thirteen minutes against Ryan.
It’s been common knowledge that Bo Nickal has been planning on making the transition to MMA and he was even seen training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in anticipation of his change in career. He also made the move to American Top Team and was seen helping Jorge Masvidal prepare for his pair of title-fights against Kamaru Usman. Although Masvidal was unsuccessful in both of his attempts, he did show solid takedown defense in the process which was no doubt in large part thanks to his work with Nickal.
Nickal’s first MMA fight will be under amateur rules, much like the recent debut of Combat Jiu-Jitsu world champion Kody Steele. In it, Nickal will be competing against David Conley who currently holds a 1-0 amateur MMA record as he won his first fight by Guillotine.
The full event featuring the MMA debut of Bo Nickal against David Conley will be streamed live on FITE TV on September 24th, click here to watch.