DWCS Season 6, Week 3 results: Bo Nickal smokes opponent, not yet awarded contract

Three-time NCAA Division I champ Bo Nickal steamrolled his second professional MMA opponent, Zachary Borrego, in 62 seconds in the DWCS Season 6, Week 3 headliner. He’ll still need to win one more fight in order to be eligible for a UFC contract.

Nickal, who is a Penn State wrestling champion, wasn’t among the three UFC fighters that earned a contract at UFC APEX Las Vegas. Instead, Clayton Carpenter, Erik Silva, and Jamal Pogues were on their way to the UFC octagon following victories in their respective fights.

UFC President Dana White afterward indicated Nickal’s record was responsible for the delay in his move to the big stage.

” I don’t know what to do,” White said to DWCS commentator Laura Sanko about Nickal’s performance. “He’s amazing, he’s one of the hottest prospects in the sport. He’s 2-0, so what we’d like to do is offer him another fight in the Contender Series. We’d love to have him in the UFC .”

if he wins.

As high as a -3500 favorite to win, Nickal needed one small opening to do what he does best, using a half-hearted setup from Borrego to nab a takedown. He grabbed Borrego by the neck, and was only seconds away from getting a guillotine choke on the fence. When that wasn’t forthcoming, he whipped around to the back and patiently waited until Borrego formally exposed his neck. It took only seconds for the choke to be completed.

Pogues gets second DWCS win, standing

When takedowns and ground domination failed to win Jamal Pogues a UFC contract in his first DWCS appearance in 2019, he stood up and slugged it out with Paulo Renato Jr. Pogues jabbed his smaller opponent to death and paid the tax of his lead leg, which took dozens of kicks over three rounds, leaving him hobbling. The finishing shot was perhaps a punch or two away in the third and final round, yet Renato Jr. was able to avoid the worst of it as he’d done earlier in the fight. Pogues’ right handed was so sparse that Michael Bisping, ex-middleweight champion, requested that he make more use of it with combinations in order to achieve the finish he wanted.

All three judges gave the emotional Pogues the unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice, a fair call given his confident performance. On the contract side of things, however, there was a question whether it would be enough – until the final announcement.

Silva rains on Boynazarov’s striking parade

Anvar Boynazarov, an ex-GLORY kickboxer, won three MMA victories on the regional circuit. He hoped to get his ticket to UFC. He was instead the victim of an example of what can happen when your mixed martial arts aren’t ready.

In less than 30 seconds, Erik Silva took Boynazarov down and exposed him on the canvas, landing a series of elbows and punches that forced referee intervention at the 1:32 mark of the opening frame. Boynazarov’s head bounced violently off the canvas just before the end.

Carpenter outlasts Chairez

A tough first round left Clayton Carpenter with a swollen right eye after Edgar Chairez caught him with several left hooks – and nearly took off his head with a flying knee. Brandon Moreno’s training partner, Chairez offered him the challenge of a skilled and unpredictable opponent, with spinning backfists, and other surprises.

What Chairez lacked was a gas tank, which ran low in deep waters as Carpenter played a smarter game plan and used his wrestling to take over. Chairez became exhausted after all of the level changes, and wound up on the back. Carpenter ended the fight by making a statement. All three judges gave the Power MMA product a 29-28 score to extend his unbeaten streak to 6-0.

Wojcik grinds out Lavado

Karolina Wojcik smothered Sandra Lavado over three rounds for a shutout on judges’ scorecards. But her grinding style didn’t get anyone out of their seat.

Lavado attempted to hold Wojcik accountable with straight punches while Wojcik charged in repeatedly, sometimes with her head down and fingers stretched out, to start the clinch against Wojcik’s cage. However, there were many clashes between heads and an eyepoke from Lavado. By the end of the second round Wojcik had won her first takedown. She then controlled the fight. Lavado almost got her second rear-naked choke, but it was a little off the mark. In the end, though, Wojcik would settle for 30-27 scorecards in a moderately lackluster affair.

Full DWCS Season 6, Week 3 results;

Bo Nickal def. Zachary Borrego via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:02

Jamal Pogues def. Paulo Renato Jr. via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Erik Silva def. Anvar Boynazarov via KO (ground and pound) – Round 1, 1:32

Clayton Carpenter def. Edgar Chairez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Karolina Wojcik def. Sandra Lavado via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)