Bo Nickal lived up to the hype with a lightning quick submission to get his first win inside the octagon at UFC 285.
The three-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion had all eyes on him heading into his fight as the biggest favorite on the entire card and Nickal proved he deserved that level of respect. He only needed a single takedown to effectively suffocate Jamie Pickett on the ground before wrapping up an arm-triangle choke that led to his first UFC finish.
The end came at 2:54 in the first round after Pickett succumbed to the pressure and tapped out from the submission.
” I feel at home,” Nickal stated afterwards. I’ve been doing this for a long time. Every day I train so that I can dominate. That’s exactly what I did. I’m just going to keep getting better.
“You better bet your ass I’m getting that belt and I’ll be the pound-for-pound best fighter before my career is done.”
Nickal was able to make a quick transition to get within 30 seconds and grab a leg to finish the fight. Nickal continued to be relentless, attempting to grab the back and then looking for a reverse naked choke. He also attempted an arm triangle choke.
Pickett was desperately holding on to try and prevent Nickal from locking on the submission as the hold kept getting tighter and tighter.
Nickal was a little inexperienced in his execution. He preferred to keep control of the top than to jump off to one side in order to lock the submission. But in the end, it didn’t really matter. Nickal’s grip was so tight that he just locked up the arm-triangle choke and Pickett was finally forced to tap out.
Now 0 In his career, Nickal has a very high ceiling in MMA. However, he isn’t in rushing to achieve the top, as he gains more experience and adds more fights.
One thing is certain: Nickal will be the center of attention for his continued rise in the middleweight division.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/3/4/23625705/ufc-285-results-bo-nickal-makes-quick-work-jamie-pickett-first-round-arm-triangle-choke-submission?rand=96749
