Rising star Bo Nickal dominates and wins by second round submission at UFC 300, so why did the undefeated middleweight boo HIMSELF afterwards?
- Bo Nickal dominated Cody Brundage en route to a second-round victory
- But the undefeated star seemed dissatisfied with his performance at UFC 300
- UFC 300 LIVE: Fight card and updates as Alex Pereira takes on Jamahal Hill
Bo Nickal said he wasn’t happy with his performance despite extending his undefeated record at UFC 300.
The former collegiate wrestling star has had a blistering start to his professional MMA career, but faced his toughest test yet on Saturday in the form of eight-fight UFC veteran Cody Brundage.
From the opening bell, Nickal wasted little time in using his wrestling to force Brundage to the mat and establish a dominant position.
However, unlike some of his previous opponents, Brundage managed to defend against the onslaught of submission attempts and the large crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas made their feelings clear as a stalemate ensued.
Despite being forced to the second round for the first time in his professional career, Nickal was no less dominant in the next frame as he secured another early takedown.
Bo Nickal continued his undefeated start to his career with a submission victory against Cody Brundage
But the 28-year-old seemed dissatisfied with his performance at UFC 300
This time, Nickal would make good on his positional dominance. The All-American wrestler took his opponent’s back and locked in a rear naked choke with over a minute left in the round.
Immediately after turning on the tap, Nickal seemed to indicate that he was unhappy with his performance and gave a thumbs down to the audience.
Speaking inside the Octagon after raising his hand, the 28-year-old insisted the fight had been a good “learning experience.”
“I expected to dominate and completely shut this guy out,” Nickal said. ‘I’ve had the experience of doing more than one lap. I think he was more confident and came out to fight. It’s a good learning experience, I think I could have been more tactical.
“I’m grateful for everyone who supports me and for those who don’t, you will all love me, I guarantee it.
“I want to fight every fight against a better man. I’m 6-0 now and most of the guys I fight have 16-20 fights. Anthony Hernandez is a guy I could fight. If you get the call to fight me, be grateful and sign the contract.”
Nickal emphasized that reaching the second round for the first time in his career was an important learning experience
Khamzat Chimaev made his feelings about Nickal’s performance clear in a social media post
One man clearly unimpressed by Nickal’s performance was fellow middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev.
The undefeated pair have traded barbs in the past and Chimaev appeared to reignite their feud in a social media post, writing: ‘This wrestling was a big b*******’.