Three-time NCAA champion and Penn State wrestling legend, Bo Nickal, got back in the win column on Saturday night. After suffering his first loss in early May to Reinier de Ridder, Nickal added another win to his UFC career, defeating Rodolfo Vieira in the third round by knockout in the UFC 322 prelims in Madison Square Garden. Nickal now has a UFC record of 8-1.

How It Happened:

Nickal struck first, landing multiple leg kicks to open up the fight. He quickly showed off his wrestling background with a solid takedown, giving multiple head strikes and body shots to Vieira before finishing off the sequence with a fierce elbow strike, opening a cut above Vieira’s left eye. He held strong, landing multiple left hands, finishing off round one, leading 10-9, and tallying 28 significant strikes. 

In the second round, Nickal’s combination of left hooks and right jabs proved to be powerful, eventually closing Vieria’s eye. Nickal was 5-5 in takedown defense, proving his effective grappling abilities. He closed out the round with a knee to Vieira’s nose, totaling 67 strikes heading into round three.  

In the third and final round, Nickal continued to wear down Vieira with left hooks until the 2:24 mark, when he landed a devastating head kick, knocking Vieira out. When interviewed by Joe Rogan about his comeback win after his previous loss in May, he simply said, “I always bounce back.”

What’s Next?

Nickal improves to 8-1 and seeks more matchups in 2026; however, there has not been an immediate announcement for his next fight.