Bo Nickal

Nickal ducked a left hand and slammed Daukaus to the canvas, opening cuts with elbows from inside the guard before the referee stood them up late in the round. Back on the feet, Nickal landed a hard right-left that floored Daukaus, then swarmed with punches and elbows on the ground to force the stoppage at 4:34 of Round 1.

Key moments

• Nickal slipped a Daukaus left and immediately took him down, controlling from inside closed guard.
• Bloodied Daukaus with elbows on the ground before the referee restood them late in the round.
• On the restart, a right-left combination dropped Daukaus cold.
• A ground-and-pound flurry of punches and elbows ended it at 4:34 of Round 1.

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
• First loss of Nickal's pro career; de Ridder earned a $50K bonus

Nickal controlled Craig with his wrestling and top position across three rounds to take a clear unanimous decision — the first decision win of his pro career. He neutralized Craig's dangerous submission game by dictating where the fight took place.

Key moments

• First fight of Nickal's career to reach the judges' scorecards
• 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. It extended his perfect record at the time and showcased his grappling chain.

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
• Fourth submission win of his pro career

Nickal needed just 38 seconds, dropping Woodburn with strikes and finishing with ground-and-pound for a first-round TKO. The quick stoppage continued his run of dominant early finishes.

Key moments

• Dropped Woodburn early with clean striking
• Finished with follow-up ground-and-pound
• First-round TKO at just 0:38
• Maintained his finish-heavy unbeaten run at the time

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. The back-to-back highlight performances convinced Dana White to hand Nickal a UFC contract on the spot.

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.
• Dana White's post-fight comment: 'My only note on my paper is, God damn' — Nickal earned his UFC contract.

Nickal headlined DWCS Season 6 Week 3 against the unbeaten Borrego, taking him down less than five seconds into the fight and swiftly advancing to the back before sinking in a rear-naked choke at 1:02. 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

• Opened against fellow unbeaten prospect Borrego (3-0) in the DWCS main event.
• 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.
• The quick finish set the template for his DWCS run and generated immediate UFC buzz.