Bo Niccal had the longest fight of his young MMA career at UFC 300 last Saturday.
At 8 minutes and 38 seconds, it was the longest fight between the super middleweight prospects in six fights. Even with all of Knickal’s first five matches combined, it still took less time for the Penn State wrestling standout to finish the match than his recent match with Cody Brundage.
The main card of this historic event opened with Nikal’s third appearance in the UFC. After some strong grappling defense in round one, Brundage ultimately succumbed to a rear-naked choke from Nickal. Nikkal was not very happy with his efforts. By comparison, this must have been the most adversity the 28-year-old has ever experienced. Watching the fight that night along with the rest of the MMA world was former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, who didn’t see anything of note from the prospects. If anything, the hype train needs to slow down, says the Grim Reaper.
“I don’t care,” Whittaker said of the fight on the MMArcade podcast. “I’m not really into Cody Brundage. I think Bo Knickal… I think I saw some potential holes in Bo Knickal’s game. You got a guy who can’t do what you want to do. Cody Brundage isn’t the best fighter in the world, but yeah, I think Bo Knickal fought a guy who could do some type of wrestling, some type of striking, And he didn’t look as good as he used to.
“He’s been running with his shoes on for himself. That’s the reality. I think he has some work to do before he’s ready to compete against top-10 players.”
Nikkal was vocal about what his dream fight for the future would be against fellow undefeated middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev. But the timing of that possibility couldn’t be closer, especially as Chimaev prepares to face Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22nd.
A win for either Whittaker or Chimaev would ensure the next gold medal at 185 pounds. Meanwhile, Nikkal continues to hone his skills and tries to rise through the ranks.
champion. Max Holloway ridicules Ilia Topuria’s request for possible matchup: ‘That’s not BMF’s tone’
declaration. Michael Chandler: “UFC 303 could be Conor McGregor’s last fight, so everyone should buy”
foul.Kamaru Usman wonders how much Max Holloway’s eyes changed the outcome of his fight against Justin Gaethje
Sequel.Jiri Prochaska wants a rematch with Alex Pereira as soon as possible but knows taking her punches is ‘not going to work’
Foresight. Bo Nikal’s game plan against Khamzat Chimaev: “Knock him down, turn him into a rag doll and throw him around.”
Press conference before Haney vs. Garcia match.
With a buzzer.
Free title match.
PFL Fight Week.
Lineker vs. Bellingon.
BTS on the day of the Pereira match.
Strickland camp begins.
I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely my favorite System song of all time.
Head on over to Twitter and use the #MorningReport hashtag or find my tweets containing it and send me the jams you’re currently into. I’ll cheer you on by picking the best of my daily picks! You can also share them in the comments below. Sometimes it can be difficult to sift through comments.
Bisping’s eyes…
new gloves.
Dustin Poirier appears to have a new pair of gloves to test. He and Islam will be the first main event to use Gold Style. pic.twitter.com/b62jqGtDwM
— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) April 18, 2024
Throwback.
This is Mike Judge’s totally electric UFC 200 promo that we referenced in the last DAMN!episode
When the King of the Hill meets the UFC, it’s the moment when worlds collide. pic.twitter.com/jzJV7JqcEQ
— Jose Youngs (@JoseYoungs) April 18, 2024
counter.
Craig.
strange…
Itsuki.
Oh boy.
The only question about me is whether I finish you with a KO or a submission. I only beat the guy who beat you not once, not twice, but three times. You now have the only thing that will keep you going and allow you to fight for money: the BMF Belt. I won’t fight anymore…
— Ilia Topria (@Topurialia) April 19, 2024
Adrian Lee (0-0) vs. Antonio Mammarella (1-0) ONE 167, June 8
It was definitely a bit of a reality check for Nickal, but he still managed to finish. Imagine if he made his decision.
Happy Friday everyone. thank you for reading! Enjoy your UFC-free weekend. See you on Monday.
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Will Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway happen next, respectively?
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