Who’s next for Bo Nickal after a dominant UFC 285 win?
This past Saturday on the main card of UFC 285, one of the promotion’s most exciting predictions made its official debut. Former three-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion Bo Nickall (4-0) made his debut on the PPV main card as he faced veteran Jimmy Pickett (13-9).
Immediately after the fight began, Nikal tried to open up with his jab. However, he slipped a high kick and immediately entered into a wrestling match upon getting up. At first, Piquet defended well and Nickall struggled to get him to the mat.
However, after some knees (one knee that looked low), Nikall was able to fight back to the mat. Once he was there, he immediately started his submission game and found an arm choke. It took him a while to get the spout up, but after enough time and pressure, Beckett had to tap.
Who’s next after UFC 285?
While Nickal was speaking in the audience about his chances against the elites of the division, I think the UFC would be wise to build him up slowly. There is no need to rush him to the top. Sure, you could say the current champ has been rushed but this was a rare opportunity given Alex Pereira’s history with Israel Adesanya.
Nickal needs to build right so he can polish all aspects of his game. I think a proper next step would be to take on a guy like Erik Anders. Anders is another top-tier player and has been in the UFC for a while now.
He has a really strong jab and looked really solid in his last fight against Kyle Daoukos. It’s not the biggest name in the world, but it’s another step up from a guy like Jimmy Pickett. If Nickal passes Anders, you can do another jump after that.
