Dana White’s Contender Series 56

Now in UFC, blue-chip prospect Bo Nickal won’t let hype affect him: ‘I know how to handle it’

Bo Nickal is unfazed by people’s high expectations for his UFC career.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] feels UFC ready on all fronts.

The Penn State wrestling standout and blue-chip MMA prospect thinks he’s ready to hold his own in the big leagues on a skills and physical standpoint, as well as a mental one. Nickal (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) won a contract with the UFC on Tuesday night after submitting CFFC middleweight champion Donovan Beard (7-2) in less than a minute.

There’s no denying Nickal enters the UFC with a lot of hype and attention. The entire MMA world will be watching his career closely from now on, and that’s a pressure he’s comfortable with.

“It’s definitely interesting, but I feel good because, I feel I’ve built up to this point,” Nickal told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after his win at Dana White’s Contender Series 56. “Some people get that fame and stardom like it’s zero to 100, but for me, it’s been a slow build.

“Through wrestling and all the time I’ve put in since a young age to get to where I feel very confident and prepared, I know how to handle these type of things. It’s just been something I’ve made small incremental steps to get to where I am. It’s not zero to 100. I know how to handle it, and I have a great team around me, great people that love me and care about me, and I trust them. So I’ll just continue to improve, get better, and on to the next.”

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Nickal doesn’t expect a long road to title contention and believes in just a few years time he could become a UFC champion.

However, even though he expects a fairly quick rise to the top, the three-time NCAA Division I National Champion knows there’s a development process he’ll have to undergo – even if it’s not for long.

“Right now, for me, it’s about developing, sharpening all my skills.” Nickal said. “I’m always going to have a better wrestling base than anyone I fight, but that’s not going to be enough to be UFC champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, which is my goal. I have to continue to sharpen my wrestling and all my others skills that I need to get there.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Sam Patterson: I’m glad I earned UFC contract, but ‘I cannot wait to show how good I really am’

Sam Patterson thinks he only showed a fraction of what he’s capable of at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Sam Patterson[/autotag] thinks he only showed a fraction of what he’s capable of at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

That’s because the Brit faced adversity when he was hurt early in his fight against Vinicius Cenci at the UFC Apex on Tuesday, before turning things around and getting the second-round submission to earn a UFC deal.

“The pressure of tonight, maybe that was the factor in the performance, but me and my team know how good I am,” Patterson told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “That wasn’t up to standard, let’s say, on my part, and I can’t wait. I’m glad I got the contract, I’m glad I dealt with adversity in there, and I cannot wait to show how good I really am.”

Unbeaten in his past 10 fights, 26-year-old Patterson (10-1-1) hasn’t lost since a first-round knockout in his second professional fight in 2017 – and he doesn’t plan on losing again.

“We know how good I am, and it wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong,” Patterson said. “It wasn’t bad. Every fight there’s adversity, and if I was going in there smashing everyone, you’d get pushed to the top too quick. I’ve got the right team around me that keep me grounded and keep me humble instead of me thinking I’m like the boss and thinking I can’t be touched, because the last time that happened, I got touched and that was it. So that won’t happen again.”

Watch the video of Patterson’s complete post-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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DWCS 56 winner Rafael Estevam: ‘With me, you’re gonna need an extra tank of gas’

Rafael Estevam lays out what UFC fighters can expect when they face him.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rafael Ramos Estevam[/autotag] had no problem matching Joao Elias’ early intensity at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

In a scrappy back-and-forth battle, Estevam (11-0) finished Elias by TKO in the second round, wearing him out with some ground-and-pound.

Elias threatened with a lot of aggressive submission attempts early, but Estevam said he never once felt in danger.

“In no point I felt that any of those positions were compromising at all,” Estevam told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter. “I felt that I was a step ahead of him throughout the fight. I did not feel anything at risk at any time. Then obviously not forgetting to hit him, so impose that ground and pound when I was there, because I wanted to impress for the contract. So when I was on top of him, just making sure I never stopped hitting him.”

He continued, “I’m gonna come out with the stamina. That’s an alley that someone’s gonna die on if they’re gonna come fight me. You need to be prepared. I’m gonna go all the way and with me, you’re gonna need an extra tank of gas.”

Watch the video of Estevam’s complete post-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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UFC contract winner Jack Jenkins admits Contender Series experience was a ‘pressure cooker’

Although Jack Jenkins dominated at Dana White’s Contender Series 56, he wasn’t entirely happy with his performance.

LAS VEGAS – Although [autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag] dominated at Dana White’s Contender Series 56, he was entirely happy with his performance.

Jenkins (10-2) bloodied and battered Freddy Emiliano Linares to score a third-round TKO at the UFC Apex on Tuesday, which earned him a UFC deal. The Australian prospect said he would have liked to show off more of his striking, but the pressure of a hectic fight week got to him.

“Huge week of emotions,” Jenkins told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Tuesday. “I just caught Dana for a couple of minutes out in the back and just sort of spoke about the performance and said, ‘Mate, it was such a pressure cooker this week.’ I had some troubles getting a visa, so we ended up flying in late. I got in at 10:30 and got picked up at 6:30 to come here and do media, and it was all a bit of a whirlwind.

“But I think the Contender maybe is designed for that a bit to try and weed out the guys who can’t handle that high pressure. Maybe it got a little bit to me in the performance there, and I didn’t let my hands go or my kickboxing prowess show, but I did enough to get the job done.”

Although Jenkins’ coaches were happy with his performance, he wasn’t sure if he’d be awarded a UFC deal.

“I was just a bit overwhelmed,” Jenkins added. “You get the finish. I think I 10-9’d him, 10-8’d him in the second and then finished in the third. So on paper in any other scenario, you go, ‘Wow, what a performance.’ But with the pressure that comes with being in the Apex for Contenders, you go, ‘F*ck, was that enough?’

“So, looking back at it now, I was a bit disappointed, and my coaches both said to me, ‘Mate, pull your head in. You did very well.’ So yeah, got the contract, and now the real work begins. It’s murderer’s row now, so time to pull the finger out and really get going.”

Watch the video of Jenkins’ complete post-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Dana White says ‘it’s a little too soon’ for Kevin Holland to retire, chalks up post to emotions

UFC president Dana White expects to see Kevin Holland back in the octagon soon.

LAS VEGAS – UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] genuinely meant he wanted to retire.

After getting quickly submitted by Khamzat Chimaev in a 180-pound catchweight bout at UFC 279 earlier this month, Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) posted on social media that he was done with the sport, saying “I’m out.”

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But White thinks Holland spoke out of frustration. The 29-year-old, who was MMA Junkie’s 2020 Male Fighter of the Year, has shown moments of brilliance throughout his career but struggled against some of the top grapplers in the UFC.

“I’m really close to this kid, and I like him a lot,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters Tuesday at the UFC Apex. “I think when you are competing in a sport like this, and you’ve done the things that Kevin Holland has done. He gets out of the fight with (Derek) Brunson and realizes that he needs to work on his wrestling more.

“So he dives in and starts working on his wrestling, and I think when what happened to him happens to you, I think you lay in bed at night and go, ‘Holy sh*t, how did that happen to me?’ He’s an emotional guy. I think the emotions got the best of him. Just take some time, get back in the gym and whatever he wants to do obviously – I love the kid, whatever he wants to do, he can do. But it’s a little too soon for him to retire.”

Prior to the first-round loss to Chimaev, Holland scored back-to-back bonus-winning finishes against Alex Oliveira and Tim Means. He expressed interest in fighting a striker like Daniel Rodriguez or Stephen Thompson next before deciding to hint at retirement.

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Mateus Mendonca sends message after quick DWCS 56 KO: ‘The problem has arrived’

Newly signed UFC fighter Mateus Mendonca even has his own catchphrase.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mateus Mendonca[/autotag] was quick to impress at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

Mendonca (10-0) needed just 48 seconds to knock out CES MMA champion Ashiek Ajim with a blitzing combination that earned him a UFC deal on Tuesday at the UFC Apex. The undefeated Chute Boxe Diego Lima fighter already has his own catchphrase and sent a warning to the UFC’s featherweight division.

“Look at ‘The Cat’!,” Mendonca told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter.

He continued, “I have a lot of faith in God, and Diego Lima always says to me, ‘You came here to get what’s yours. I came here to have fun in the octagon. I just came to have fun in there and do my thing and just show people the problem has arrived.”

Watch the video of Mendonca’s complete post-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Bo Nickal isn’t kidding about Khamzat Chimaev callout: ‘I feel like that’s a good matchup for me’

After his UFC contract-earning win, Bo Nickal immediately called out Khazmat Chimaev – but it wasn’t some sort of stunt.

LAS VEGAS – Doubt all you want, [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] says he’s serious about pursuing a matchup against [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

Even if it doesn’t happen in the immediate, Nickal (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is coming for Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and he announced that to the world after his UFC contract-earning Dana White’s Contender Series victory Tuesday.

In his broadcasted post-fight interview, Nickal called out Chimaev and jabbed at the UFC contender’s recent UFC 279 weight miss. He doubled down minutes later at a post-fight news conference.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about as far as kidding,” Nickal told reporters including MMA Junkie. “I feel like that’s a good matchup for me. He’s obviously a high-level grappler, high-level fighter. He’s one of the top fighters not only in his division, but in the UFC. I have a lot of respect for his skills but I also know what I’m about. So yeah. At some point. I’m making my UFC debut. He’s probably fighting for the title soon. So am I going to get that fight? Probably not. But I’m ready to go. It will happen in the future. I’ll be more than prepared then.”

Nickal thinks Chimaev is top-tier talent and explained the callout isn’t a result of a perceived deficiency, no. Nickal likes the matchup stylistically and thinks his grappling would neutralize much of Chimaev’s game.

“He’s good without a doubt,” Nickal said. “You can’t take that away from him. He’s got skills and he does a lot of things really well. That being said, ask anybody who knows anything about wrestling and who watches the sport and studies it and puts time into it. I’m one of the best wrestlers in the world. You can go in the Penn State room, still to this day, without having wrestled a year-and-a-half, I’m still right there. There’s just a different level there.

“It’s like the same thing as putting a high-level jiu-jitsu guy in the UFC and in an ADCC competition. Yeah, I’m good at wrestling. I’m world class. It’s different. Again, respect to him. Respect again. I respect his skills, but I also know what I’m about.

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While Nickal eventually vowed the matchup would eventually happen, he admitted he knows there’s probably a build that’ll have to come first. Nickal is in no rush to dive head-first into the UFC rankings, but wants to stay active as 2024 is the golden goal.

“I’m a year into this, so I don’t really feel like I need to rush,” Nickal said. “I am excited just to compete and improve. I think by the middle or end of ’24, I’ll be the champ. I’ll be the number one guy on the roster. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m not skipping steps on the way there. I feel like I’ve made a great progression in my first three fights, fighting a guy 0-0, a guy 3-0, a guy 7-1 – steps up in competition each time. I’m going to continue to do that. I know what I’m capable of doing, so I believe that those goals that I say constantly are very attainable for me.”

Nickal indicated he hopes to return at the UFC Fight Night event Dec. 3 in Orlando, Fla. – one of four left in 2022 that are scheduled to be held in front of a fully-attended arena.

“I told Dana (White). I told Hunter (Campbell). I said, ‘I’m ready to go, guys.’ On the way out of the octagon, I said, ‘Book me again.’ So hopefully December, main card, whatever card they have going around that time,” Nickal said. “I would be very excited to be a part of (it). I’m healthy and excited and continuing to improve, so I want to continue to fight. That’s again, like I said earlier, the most exciting part of what I do. I want to get back in there right away.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Dana White heaps praise on Bo Nickal, but says ‘let’s not get crazy’ with Khamzat Chimaev callout

Dana White was high on Bo Nickal post-fight, but also a bit stunned at his newest fighter’s callout.

LAS VEGAS – If [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] had to pick one fighter from the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series it’d be a no-brainer.

“[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag], 100 percent,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters after Nickal’s 52-second submission of Donovan Beard at the UFC Apex.

With his win, Nickal essentially repeated history. In early August, he took 10 seconds longer to submit Zack Borrego. While many viewers thought the former Dan Hodge Trophy winner would be a shoe-in for a UFC deal, White elected not to, but rather bring him back on DWCS instead.

“After what you saw tonight, you know I made the right decision,” White said. “He got highlighted once. SportsCenter has been talking about him for three days. (He) came in tonight and performs the way that he does, I couldn’t have done it any better – I must say so myself. Apparently, I must.”

The buzz surrounding Nickal as he exits DWCS and enters the UFC is perhaps incomparable to anyone previously to come off the show. Nickal is being added to EA Sports video game UFC 4 and even called out [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] in his post-fight interview.

While the potential ceiling is sky-high, White said to pump the breaks on such matchup talk in the immediate.

“Let’s not get crazy here,” White said. “It’s funny we were in matchmaking today and we were just talking about Khamzat and possibilities and how f*cking good that guy really is, you know? You saw it in this last fight. Kevin Holland, to get beat the way (he did), well, Kevin expected it. For everybody else, to see it happen the way that it happened, nobody saw that coming but Kevin.”

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So what will the UFC do with Nickal? Will they scope out a special fast-track for the mega prospect? Nope. They’ll treat him like everyone else, according to White.

“You don’t test him against ranked talent,” White said. “You bring him in just like you’d bring in any prospect. You build him up and give him fights. The problem is, there are no easy fights here. This isn’t like the boxing model. But he walked into a show where there is no easy fights. Everybody here are killers. If you perform the way that you performed here twice… There are some guys that come in here and it’s a rough go. There are wars to squeak off a win or pull off a win or whatever. This guy came in and dominated twice.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Video: Bo Nickal runs through CFFC champ Donovan Beard in 52 seconds to earn UFC contract

UFC president Dana White said the only note he wrote down during Bo Nickal’s fight was, “God damn.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] entered Dana White’s Contender Series 56 with a ton of hype – and likely left with even more.

In the final bout of DWCS, Season 6, Nickal (3-0 MMA) trucked through CFFC middleweight champion [autotag]Donovan Beard[/autotag] (7-2) for a triangle choke submission at the 0:52 mark of Round 1.

The fight came and went in the blink of an eye. Nickal landed a left hand that floored Beard to the canvas. From there, Nickal entered directly into mount. As Beard wiggled to escape, Nickal pulled guard and wrapped his legs upward. The squeeze was tight and the tap was quick.

BO NICKAL GETS IT DONE IN UNDER A MINUTE! #DWCS pic.twitter.com/IDkLeYpj7F

— UFC (@ufc) September 28, 2022

The win earned Nickal a UFC contract after his second attempt on Dana White’s Contender Series. In August, Nickal submitted Zack Borrego in 62 seconds. The two DWCS victories come after a successful 31-second knockout in his pro debut for iKon FC.

Spotlighted long before his MMA career kicked off, Nickal was a three-time Division-I national champion and three-time Big Ten conference champion for Penn State. He won a national championship and an under-23 world championship, both in 2019 in the 92kg (202.8-pound) weight class. He finished college with a 120-3 record, including a combined 61-0 record in his junior and senior years.

In 2019, Nickal earned the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy, an accolade awarded to the nation’s best wrestler. He also twice won the Schalles Award, an honor given to the nation’s best pinner. In addition, in 2019 he was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year. Nickal is a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and trains at American Top Team in South Florida.

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