Latest news with #Nickal
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MMA Star Signs With Hulk Hogan's New Freestyle Wrestling Promotion
Hulk Hogan's Real American Freestyle Wrestling has signed a popular MMA Star to the promotion. It was announced earlier this year that WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff were joining forces once again to open a brand new wrestling promotion, and they have officially added another big name to their roster. Advertisement The MMA fighter is none other than Bo Nickal. The 29-year-old from State College, Pennsylvania. He has a record of two wins and zero losses in his amateur career. Nickal turned pro back in 2022. Up until last year, he remained undefeated with scoring seven straight victories. Last year, Nickal suffered his first and only loss to the Dutch Knight, Reinier de Ridder, via TKO. Now, it looks like Nickal is looking to test his luck in Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's Real American Freestyle Wrestling. While speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nickal revealed that he will be entering the world of wrestling via Real American Freestyle next month. 'I'm gonna be pursuing something new, pursuing something different that's maybe a little bit foreign to a lot of the MMA fans that listen to this show. But there's this lesser-known sport called wrestling — it's a really great base for professional MMA. Advertisement 'I'm gonna throw my hat in the ring and doing some professional wrestling matches with Real American Freestyle promotion. So, Aug. 30, I'll be competing in Cleveland, Ohio, and putting the singlet and shoes on and seeing how it goes. I'm excited,' Bo Nickal said. [H/T Sherdog] Real American Freestyle Wrestling's debut event will take place on August 30 in Cleveland. READ MORE: Eric Bischoff Teases Media Rights Discussions For Real American Freestyle Who do you think should be Nickal's first opponent in Real American Freestyle? The post MMA Star Signs With Hulk Hogan's New Freestyle Wrestling Promotion appeared first on Wrestlezone.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC's Bo Nickal signs with Hulk Hogan's Real American Freestyle wrestling promotion
Bo Nickal will soon be competing outside of the UFC, too. On Wednesday, it was announced that Nickal has signed on with fledgling Real American Freestyle, a professional freestyle wrestling organization with WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Israel Martinez at the helm. "Bo Nickal is a tremendous athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet,' Hogan, commissioner of Real American Freestyle, said in a statement. 'Nickal immediately elevates the RAF roster to new heights with his competitiveness and experience. When fans attend an RAF event they know they're going to see the best of the best on the mat.' Nickal, 29, was a three-time collegiate national champion wrestler at Penn State, making him a highly touted prospect when he transitioned to MMA in 2021. After two amateur fights, Nickal turned professional and earned his way on the UFC roster through Dana White's Contender Series. He made his UFC debut in March 2023 and won his first four fights before suffering his first defeat this past May, a TKO loss to former ONE two-division champion Reinier de Ridder. On Wednesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Nickal explained he he'll manage competing both for the UFC and Real American Freestyle. "At the end of the day, my contract with the UFC, I'm going to be fighting with MMA with them and then I think at the same time there's room for me to compete in wrestling," Nickal said. "You see a lot of guys do jiu-jitsu matches or wherever it is. I just have the fire in me to compete as much as I can and realistically with fighting, I've been getting two fights a year. I think that's going to be the trend, which is fine with me. But I'm 29 years old in my prime, and I'm just fired up to compete. The thing about a wrestling match is it's so different from a fight in the preparation. I could step on the mat right now with no warmup and compete with the best guys in the world." Real American Freestyle is scheduled to host its inaugural event Aug. 30 in Cleveland. Nickal expects to make his debut on that date. According to a press release, Real American Freestyle seeks "to provide an opportunity for the best athletes to compete and showcase their talent."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bo Nickal Sends Blistering Message: ‘Spit in Your Face' While Plotting UFC Comeback
The drama at UFC Kansas didn't wait for the first bell. Before a single punch was thrown, the co-main event between highly touted American rising star Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder had fans on edge. The highly anticipated clash brought eyes from every corner of the MMA world—but it was the aftermath of Nickal's first professional loss that truly lit up social media. What came next wasn't just about a loss—it was about a fighter sending a warning to everyone who doubted him. Bo Nickal initially kept a composed demeanor after the bout. But in a video posted to his personal YouTube channel, the former collegiate wrestling champion unleashed a raw and unfiltered message directed at critics. The clip, which was widely circulated and shared by Spinnin Backfist, featured Nickal saying: 'All the negative comments, I look at that and all I say is just like, suck my d**k,' Nickal said. 'At the end of the day, say what you want, but when I get back on top and when I'm the freaking champion of the world, they're all crawling back! And I will spit right in your face. As soon as you crawl back and you know, 'Bo, come give me an interview,' blah blah blah. Where were you? Where were you? And guess what I'm gonna say? 'Okay, come over here.' spits Right between the eyes. And that's how I'll treat you guys.' Despite the backlash and noise, Nickal made it clear he wants to fight again soon. He hopes to compete at least twice more this year, using the recent loss as motivation to sharpen his skills. Bo NickalGetty Images Regardless of who's next, one thing is certain—Bo Nickal isn't going quietly. Advertisement Related: Joe Rogan on Lightweight GOAT: 'It Might Not Be Khabib' Related: Terence Crawford Speaks Out After UFC Blunder: 'That Was No Accident'
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC's Bo Nickal delivers X-rated message to haters after first loss: 'Suck my d*ck'
UFC's Bo Nickal delivers X-rated message to haters after first loss: 'Suck my d*ck' Like a Sour Patch Kid, Bo Nickal is humble when reflecting on his first loss, but has a scathing message to the haters finding joy in his setback. Bo Nickal appears to be taking his first professional loss in stride, but he also has a nasty message for anyone enjoying his setback. Nickal (7-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered the first loss of his MMA career at UFC on ESPN 67 when Reinier de Ridder finshed him in the second round after a series of hard strikes in the second round. The wrestling talent didn't have much to offer de Ridder outside of grappling and appeared a few levels behind in the striking department. Nickal says he hasn't watched the fight in full yet because he has a pretty clear recollection of what went down, including returning to his stool after Round 1 thinking the fight wasn't going in his direction. "I'll watch that fight back at some point, but I look at it as just a blueprint of what not to do," Nickal said on his YouTube channel. "So, that's a massive plus because I can't look at it and say like, 'Well, I did everything I could and he got me.' It was like – I did in my effort-wise, but the mistakes that I made were just so obvious to me. Fixable, obvious mistakes. And I think he's a great guy, he's a great opponent, so he forced me into those mistakes, and I didn't correct, or I didn't adjust. That's what you have to do if you want to be the best in the world." Nickal's hype as a national champion wrestler led him to become a massive betting favorite in his MMA fights, and until the fight against de Ridder, he proved the oddsmakers correct. He started out his UFC career with back-to-back first-round finishes, followed by a second-round stoppage win. However, the competiton started to get stiffer, and he would go the distance with Paul Craig in his fourth UFC fight. Then the first career loss came against de Ridder, a former two-division champion under the ONE Championship banner. "I never wanted to be an undefeated UFC champion," Nickal stated. "I never said that. You can go look back and clip out interviews and stuff like that. My goal has never been to be undefeated. I was totally aware that losses were very, very possible and likely. ... The goal isn't any different. I just want to continue to get better and improve. I want to find out how good I can be, and really it's leaning on God's plan for me more so than my own." Now that the zero is gone from his loss column, Nickal can continue to proceed without the pressure of maintaining an unblemished record. He said he doesn't intend to be a fighter who loses more than he wins, but being someone who has experienced losses and bounced back from them is something fans can relate to more than an undefeated champion. For the fans that don't relate and would rather send him hate, Nickal didn't mince words. "All the negative, for me, I look at that and all I say is just like, suck my d*ck," Nickal said. "At the end of the day, say what you want. But when I get back on top and I'm the freaking champion of the world, you all will come crawling back. They always do. And I'll spit right in your face. "... That's how I'll treat you guys. And every single one of you that says a bad thing, I have the memory of an elephant."
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bo Nickal unapologetically slams haters as he vows a fierce comeback in the next UFC bout
Bo Nickal. Image via Bo Nickal/X After his first and tragic loss at UFC Fight Night : Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo, Bo Nickal maintained a low profile until he finally opened up about his future course of action and the experience he had gained from the entire bout. Nickal seemed quite humbled by the outcome of the bout, reflecting on his shortcomings and aiming for a comeback as soon as possible. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far However, in a recent episode of Nickals and Dimes , the fighter got back at his haters , stating how he will make the greatest comeback ever. Bo Nickal faces his first-ever defeat against Reinier de Ridder, fires back at critics for celebrating his loss With a brilliant career start at the UFC, Bo Nickal was one of the few fighters who was considered to be a potential title run contender within the division. However, the dream run came short after Reinier De Ridder handed the first-ever defeat of his career to Nickal. The fighter's defeat came with a lot of mixed reactions, with some of the fans hating the fighter for his previously made comments. While in his interview with Ariel Helwani, Nickal refrained from commenting on the fan's reaction, the fighter opened up on the same in the recent episode of Nickals and Dimes. Nickal emphasized on how the bout had both positive and negative aspects. Talking about his reaction to the negative parts, the fighter stated, 'The Negative, for me, I look at that and all I say is just like 'S*ck my d*ck.'' Bo Nickal Opens Up About First Loss |N&D 77| The fighter continued, 'At the end of the day, say what you want but when I get back on top. And when I am the freaking champion of the world, you all will come crawling back. They always do. And I will sp*t right on your face.' Nickal added, 'As soon as you crawl back and you know be like 'Bo come give me an interview', where were you? And guess what, I am gonna say, 'Okay come over here and [imitates sp*itting action] right between the eyes.' That's how I treat you guys. And this is a bad thing that I have the memory of an elephant.' Nickal's reaction met with some retaliating responses from fans across the internet. One of them wrote, 'Ok. I found my new favorite hate watch.' Another one wrote, 'He will never be ranked' 'Ok… I get why so many people celebrated the loss now' One of the fans wrote emphasizing on the harsh comments made my the fighter. Also read: 'I want to fight asap' - UFC Middleweight contender Bo Nickal opens up on future plans following the first loss of his pro-MMA career Despite the disappointing defeat, Nickal seems to be pretty confident about making a comeback within the division. The next bout for the fighter shall be a major opportunity to bounce back and legitimise the position for a title run.
