Bo Niccal and Cody Brundage at UFC 300 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Bo Niccal was paired with Cody Brundage in the opening bout of Saturday’s UFC 300 PPV card, looking to continue showing promise as a top middleweight contender.
On paper, this fight was a clear mismatch and had perhaps the most lopsided odds in UFC history. Therefore, it became a dangerous battle for Nikal.
Nikkal started things off with a light step, going in and out. Nickal grazed Brundage early on, knocking him off balance. Brundage may have also cut off the knickers. The two men then briefly clinch together, but Nikkal is unable to finish the fight there. Still, he put Brundage on the fence, in a position that was very comfortable for the wrestler. A mat return followed, but it didn’t result in a clear takedown.
Still, Nickal took control of Buck and quickly put Brundage on his knees. Nickal gets in one hook and then attempts a rear-naked choke, perhaps prematurely. Brundage eventually turned his back and forced Beau into half guard, but quickly passed and moved to mount. Knickal’s transitions were fast and furious, with Brundage trying to keep Knickal away and Knickal flowing and fighting back every step of the way. Nikkal takes the back again and hits one hook against the fence. Brundage controlled his wrist and mocked Nickal’s punches, which were thrown from awkward angles with nothing behind him.
For the first time in Bo Nickal’s career, he advanced to the second round. There, Brundage fought off an early takedown, but Nickale took the fight shortly after with a double leg. He quickly moved backwards and into half guard. After a few punches, Nickal moved to mount and the Brundage corner yelled at him to secure an underhook. Meanwhile, Nikkal went for an arm triangle choke. And when Brundage tried to escape, he abandoned the back and allowed Knickal to lock in a body triangle, followed by a rear naked choke. It didn’t take long and Brundage was forced to tap.
After the win, Nikkal criticized his performance and gave him two thumbs down, but later admitted that he was somewhat “embarrassed” considering he was expected to perform overwhelmingly.
Official Results: Bo Niccal def. Cody Brundage, submission (rear naked choke), round 2, 3:38
