Bo Dean Nickal (born January 14, 1996) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, former freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

middleweight division. In freestyle wrestling, he claimed the 2019 U23 World Championship and the US Open National championship, and was a finalist at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials and a Final X contestant in 2019. As a collegiate wrestler, Nickal was a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion (finalist in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

) and a three-time

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

champion out of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

. Considered one of the most accomplished Nittany Lions of all-time, Nickal earned the 2019

Dan Hodge Trophy The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...

as the nation's most outstanding collegiate wrestler, was a two-time

Schalles Award Established in 1999, both Schalles awards, one (the Schalles Award) for the best collegiate pinner in America and the other, (the Junior Schalles Award) for the best scholastic pinner, are annually presented by WIN Magazine, Cliff Keen Athletics and ...

winner as the nation's best

pinner Pinner is a London suburb in the London borough of Harrow, Greater London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 31,130 in 2011. Originally a med ...

and was also named the 2019 Big Ten Athlete of the Year.

Wrestling career

Background and high school

Nickal was born in

Rifle, Colorado Rifle is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality in and the most populous community of Garfield County, Colorado, Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 10,437 at the 2020 United S ...

, but moved to

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

at a young age, where he started wrestling around five or six years old. In

fifth grade Fifth grade (called Grade 5 in some regions) is a year of education in many nations, and some other regions call it Year 5. In the United States, the fifth grade is the fifth and last year of elementary school in most schools. In other schools, it ...

, he moved to

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into north ...

. Nickal made the varsity high school team while in the

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post-kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ye ...

and placed second at the state tournament that same season (2009–10). As a

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

, he moved once again, now to Allen High School in

Allen, Texas Allen is a city in Collin County in the U.S. state of Texas, and a northern suburb of Dallas. According to the 2020 U.S. census its population was 104,627, up from 84,246 in 2010. Allen is located approximately twenty miles (32.2 km) north ...

, placing second in the state as well. He won every state championship he competed in from his sophomore-year onward, becoming a three-time UIL title holder. As a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

, he placed fifth at the 2013 Cadet World Championships in freestyle. After finishing his junior year, Nickal committed to wrestle as a

Nittany Lion The Nittany Lion is the eastern mountain lion mascot of the athletic teams of the Pennsylvania State University: Penn State Nittany Lions. Created in 1907, the "Nittany" forename refers to the local Mount Nittany, which overlooks the university. ...

at the

. He graduated from high school with an 183–7 record, including 131

pins A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch de ...

, and was the ninth-ranked wrestler in the nation

pound-for-pound Pound for pound is a ranking used in combat sports, such as boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts, of who the better fighters are irrespective of their weight, i.e. adjusted to compensate for weight class. As these fighters do not compete direc ...

College

2014–2015

Nickal opted to take a redshirt season in his first collegiate year, compiling a 15–2 record in open tournaments while wrestling unattached at 174 pounds.

2015–2016

Entering his

season ranked fourteenth in the country, Nickal won his first eighteen matches, claiming titles from the Nittany Lion Open and the Southern Scuffle and notable victories over returning NCAA runner-up Brian Realbuto, multiple DI All-Americans in Zach Epperly, Bryce Hammond and Ethan Ramos, and future NCAA champion

Myles Martin Myles Najee Martin (born May 20, 1996) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he placed second at the '19 US National Championships and is a two-time US U23 National Champi ...

. In his nineteenth match, Nickal, now the top-ranked 174 pounder in the country, was defeated by Nate Jackson on points, ending his streak. Afterwards, Nickal bounced back with eight straight wins, including another one over

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, to finish the regular season with a record of 26–1. At the

Championships, Nickal claimed three bonus point-victories, including a

fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

over

and a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

over Zac Brunson in the finale. Nickal entered the NCAA's as the top-seed, defeating his first three opponents to make the semifinals, where he avenged his regular season loss to Nate Jackson on points, advancing to the finals. In the finals, Nickal faced the eleventh seed in

, whom he had already defeated three times earlier, but was defeated by the opposition in a close and frenetic upset, claiming runner-up honors. Nickal then went up to 86 kilos for the 2016 US Last Chance World Trials Qualifier ( freestyle) in April, where he placed fourth after going 5–2. He then tried to make the 2016 US Junior World Team, but was stopped by

Zahid Valencia Zahid Valencia (born November 5, 1997) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion and three-time Pac-12 Confe ...

2016–2017

As a

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...

, Nickal moved up to the 184 pounds division. During his unbeaten regular season, Nickal pinned his way to the Keystone Classic title and went 14–0 in dual meets, dominantly avenging his

NCAA championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

loss to

, and also including wins over returning NCAA runner-up TJ Dudley and returning All-Americans Sammy Brooks and Nolan Boyd (both by fall). In the postseason, Nickal was upset in the semifinals of the Big Ten Championships by rival

, but came back to place third, beating TJ Dudley for the second time. At the NCAA's, Nickal got a

technical fall In amateur wrestling, a technical fall, or technical superiority, is a victory condition satisfied by outscoring one's opponent by a specified number of points. It is wrestling's version of the mercy rule. It is informally abbreviated to "tech" as b ...

in the first round and three straight falls to make his second finals, notably pinning Dudley and Sammy Brooks. In the finale, Nickal faced undefeated-in-the-season and defending two-time NCAA champion

Gabe Dean Gabriel Curtis Dean (born June 19, 1994) is an American retired freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who formerly competed at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2020 US National Champion, a '17 Pan American ...

, whom he was able to edge by a point, claiming his first NCAA title and denying Dean his third. Fresh off his first collegiate championship, Nickal went back up to 86 kilos to place fourth at the US Freestyle Open, going 4–2.

2017–2018

As a

, Nickal compiled 23 wins and no losses during regular season, with 21 bonus–point victories, claimed multiple tournament titles and wins over the likes of

Domenic Abounader Domenic Michael Abounader (born March 11, 1995) is an American-born freestyle wrestler. Domestically, Abounader competed at St. Edward High School, where he won three state titles, finishing his senior season undefeated and the number one ranked ...

and his nemesis

. At the Big Ten Championships, Nickal claimed his second title by beating Martin in the finale, advancing to the NCAAs as the favorite top–seed. At the National tournament, he earned notable wins over '16 MAC champion Jordan Ellingwood, freshman phenom from

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

Max Dean and Michigan's

to make the finale, where he scored one of his signature pins in his career over

, ending the rivalry, claiming his second NCAA title and clinching the team title for PSU. Due to his dominance, he was awarded the NCAA Championship Outstanding Wrestler award (

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

) and the prestigious

as the nation's top pinner.

2018–2019

As a

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

, Nickal moved up once again to 197 pounds. At this new weight class, he comfortably won the

Championship by second time consecutively and third time overall. At his last NCAA tournament, he dominated all thee matches to get to the final,

pinning Pinning may refer to: * Pinning, the effect of certain weapons that cause their targets to be pinned down * Pinning ceremony (nursing), a symbolic welcoming of new graduates into the nursing profession * Pinning force, a force acting on a pinned ...

his first two opponents and getting a

in the semifinals. In the finals, Nickal defeated the second seeded

Kollin Moore Kollin Raymond Moore (born May 2, 1997) is an American freestyler wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 97 kilograms. In freestyle, he won the '21 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series title, defeating Iran's Alireza Karimi in th ...

by points (5-1) to claim the NCAA title, becoming one of the four Penn State wrestlers to win three NCAA National Championships and the third one (along with David Taylor and Jason Nolf) to be a four-time NCAA Finalist. At the end of the season, he was awarded the

as nation's best college wrestler and the

(for the second time consecutively) as US' top

. He was also named 2019 Co-Big Ten wrestler of the Year, Penn State Male Athlete of the Year, and

Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year The Big Ten Athlete of the Year award is given annually to the top male and female collegiate athletes in the Big Ten Conference. It was first awarded in 1982, with winners being selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submi ...

Freestyle career

2019

Once his final run in

collegiate wrestling Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...

was over, Nickal immediately turned his focus solely to freestyle. Going back to the style after two years, Nickal competed at the US Open, bulking up to 92 kilograms instead of going down to 86 kilos due to teammate David Taylor being the returning World Champion in the weight class. He walked throughout his competition, stopping five opponents (three by

and two by

) and earning the championship. After winning the US Open, Nickal automatically advanced to the finals of the US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, in which he faced Michael Macchiavello in a best-of-three rematch. He dominated the first match winning by

(10–0) and in the second match he would outscore his opponent 5–0, without letting him to score a point in neither match. Nickal wrestled in two straight matches against returning World Champion

J'den Cox J'den Michael Tbory Cox ( /ˈdʒeɪdən/ ''JAY-dən'', born March 3, 1995) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 92 kilograms. In freestyle, Cox is a two-time World Champion (bronze medalist in 20 ...

for the spot to represent the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

at the 2019 World Championships. In the first match, he was outscored 2–4 and wasn't able to score offensively, and in the second, he wasn't able to score a single point, while Cox scored 5 of his own, losing the series. As a 23-year old Final X contestant, Nickal had the right to compete at the US U23 World Team Trials against the Challenge Tournament winner, Jakob Woodley. The special wrestle-offs took place during the Fargo Nationals. Nickal dominated 12–4 in the first match and 8–2 in the second match, earning the right to represent

at the U23 World Championships. At the U23 World Championships, Nickal defeated three opponents (one by

, one by

and one by points) including Shamil Zubairov, the returning champion, to get to the finals, where he faced 2018 Russian National champion Batyrbek Tsakulov (whom he had lost to at the 2013 Cadet World Championships). Nickal was able to avenge his loss with a 12–2

victory to earn the championship.

2020

By the start of 2020, Nickal moved up to 97 kilograms in an attempt to take out reigning Olympic Gold medalist Kyle Snyder. He effortlessly passed the first round by

before facing Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian (winner of the championship), who would nullify Nickal to a 0–10

, marking the first time he had been defeated in such fashion in freestyle (since graduating) or

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

. In the consolation bracket, he would also have a tough time, as he had a close match with Alisher Yergali in which he was down 11–12 but was able to secure a last second takedown and earn a 13–12 point-victory. Next in the bracket was Kyle Snyder, however, Nickal did not appear on the mat, forcing the match to be ruled as a

forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from ''Wonder What's Next'' * ''Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers L ...

victory for Snyder and also eliminating Nickal from the tournament, placing seventh. As a 2019 U23 World Champion, Nickal qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials. He was scheduled to compete at the event on April, however, it was postponed for 2021 due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

along with the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

. As a champion at a non-olympic weight, Nickal was supposed to decide whether he was going to compete at 86 or 97 kilograms, but this decision never became public as the events were postponed. On September 21, he announced that he would compete at 86 kilograms in 2021. Nickal returned to the mats against

Alex Dieringer Alex David Dieringer (born June 6, 1993) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler. In freestyle, he has had success in both the international and national circuit, claiming medals from tournaments such as the Bill Farr ...

on September 19, at the NLWC I, making his debut at 86 kilograms since completely crossing over. Dieringer scored the first point via push-out early in the first period, however, he was put on the shot-clock due to passivity with 1 minute and 30 seconds left on the match. Nickal tied it up after defending the attacks of his opponent, earning a point and therefore the criteria as the last one to do so. He was able to earn the victory via criteria after neither of them were able to score more points. Nickal was later scheduled to wrestle 2020 US National runner-up Nate Jackson on November 24, at the NLWC III, but was removed from the card a day before the event.

2021

After a somewhat inactive previous year, Nickal wrestled two-time NCAA Division I National Champion

in a rematch from their 2017 NCAA championship match, on February 23, at the NLWC V. After a scramble-full match, Nickal was defeated by Dean in a close bout. In early April, Nickal competed at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials as the sixth seed, in an attempt to represent the

United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics The United States, represented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020, the Games were postponed to July 23 to August 8, ...

. In the challenge tournament Nickal defeated '21 NCAA champion from

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

Carter Starocci (round of 16), '19 US Open champion and third-seeded Pat Downey (quarterfinals), and '19 US National champion

(semifinals). In the best–of–three finals, Nickal faced fellow Penn State legend and '18 World Champion David Taylor. Nickal lost twice by scores of 0–4 and 0–6, failing to make the US Olympic Team and break Taylor's 45–match win streak. Taylor would go on to claim the gold medal at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

. In regards to their close relationship, Taylor then stated:

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

On November 10, 2019, it was announced that Nickal had signed an

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

management deal with First Round Management, expecting to make the transition to the sport. It was also announced that Nickal had serious plans on partnering with Dan Lambert and opening a new

American Top Team American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no for ...

facility at

Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania Pleasant Gap is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,879 at the 2010 census. ...

. The building process started on October 23, 2020, and the gym became active on July 2, 2021. After the 2020 US Olympic Trials for wrestling, Nickal made his amateur mixed martial arts debut against David Conley on September 24, 2021, winning via arm-triangle choke submission in round one. In his next bout, Nickal scored a one-punch knockout over Billy Goode on November 5, 2021. Nickal made his professional MMA debut in the middleweight division against John Noland on June 3, 2022 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

as part of Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC event. Nickal won the fight via knockout less than a minute into the first round.

Dana White's Contender Series

For his second professional match, Nickal faced Zachary Borrego on August 9, 2022 at Dana White's Contender Series 49. At weight ins, Borrego missed weight by 1.5 pounds, coming in at 187.5 lbs. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Borrego was fined a percentage of his purse, which went to Nickal. He won the fight via rear-naked choke early in the first round. Nickal would not be awarded a contract due to his inexperience, having only two professional fights. However UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

instead decided to arrange another fight for Nickal on the Contender Series. On August 13, 2022, it was announced that Nickal was to face Donovan Beard at Dana White's Contender Series 6 on September 27, 2022. Nickal finished Donovan Beard in 52 seconds via triangle choke, once again not absorbing a significant strike. After this performance, Nickal was awarded his first UFC contract.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Two days after his Contender Series win, it was announced that Nickal is scheduled to face

Jamie Pickett Jamie Russell Pickett (born August 29, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Pickett lived with his grandparents growing up in Chinquapin, North Carol ...

on December 10, 2022, at

UFC 282 ''UFC 282: Błachowicz vs. Ankalaev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place on December 10, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. However, the bout was scrapped in October when Nickal withdrew due to injury.

Personal life

Nickal is the son of Jason and Sandy Nickal. They were both college athletes, as his mother played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

and his father played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

Chadron State College Chadron State College is a public college in Chadron, Nebraska, US. It is one of three public colleges in the Nebraska State College System. It has open admission and an acceptance rate of 100%. According to College Factual, it has a six-year g ...

. Jason coached Nickal as a youth until he went off to college at Penn State. His mother Sandy is also a former

amateur boxer Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...

. Nickal is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. He stated his faith in God helps alleviate the pressure he feels in competition, "Win or lose, I'm still the same person and my family loves me and I still serve a great God, and, you know, that's just part of his plan for my life is to wrestle. So I do feel like it's important, but at the end of the day that's not what defines me. I just have placed my identity in Jesus Christ and I go out there and compete freely and the best I can every match." As a child, his favorite wrestler was two-time Olympic Gold Medalist John Smith. Apart from wrestling, he is also an enthusiast of

spikeball Roundnet (also commonly known as spikeball) is a net sport. The game is played between two teams, usually with two players each. Players initially line up around a small trampoline-like net at the start of a point. The game starts with a serve f ...

and likes

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

, his favorite player being former

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

player

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), from 1989 to 1998 for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and ...

. Nickal married his wife Maddie Holmberg on December 12, 2020.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , , align=center, 3–0 , Donovan Beard , Submission (triangle choke) , Dana White's Contender Series 56 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:52 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , , align=center, 2–0 , Zachary Borrego , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Dana White's Contender Series 49 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , John Noland , KO (punches) , Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:33 ,

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, United States , , -

Freestyle record

! colspan="7", Senior Freestyle Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 28–10 , align=left, David Taylor , style="font-size:88%", 0–6 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, April 2–3, 2021 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2020 US Olympic Team Trials , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, - , Loss , 28–9 , align=left, David Taylor , style="font-size:88%", 0–4 , - , Win , 28–8 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 12–5 , - , Win , 27–8 , align=left, Pat Downey , style="font-size:88%", TF 13–3 , - , Win , 26–8 , align=left, Carter Starocci , style="font-size:88%", 6–1 , - , Loss , 25–8 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 2–3 , style="font-size:88%", February 23, 2021 , style="font-size:88%", NLWC V , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

State College, Pennsylvania State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a college town, dominated economically, culturally and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania Sta ...

, - , Win , 25–7 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 1–1 , style="font-size:88%", September 19, 2020 , style="font-size:88%", NLWC I , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 24–7 , align=left, Alisher Yergali , style="font-size:88%", 13–12 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, January 15–18, 2020 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2020 , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,

Rome, Italy , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (Romulus and Remus, legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg ...

, - , Loss , 23–7 , align=left, Mohammad Mohammadian , style="font-size:88%", TF 0–10 , - , Win , 23–6 , align=left, George Stark Serege , style="font-size:88%", TF 11–1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 22–6 , align=left, Batyrbek Tsakulov , style="font-size:88%", TF 12–2 , style="font-size:88%", October 30, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2019 U23 World Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,

Budapest, Hungary Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population of ...

, - , Win , 21–6 , align=left, Shamil Zubairov , style="font-size:88%", 9–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, October 29, 2019 , - , Win , 20–6 , align=left, Takumi Tanizaki , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 19–6 , align=left, Hossein Shahbazigazvar , style="font-size:88%", TF 12–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 18–6 , align=left, Jake Woodley , style="font-size:88%", 12–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, July 16, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2019 Fargo Nationals (special wrestle-off) , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

, - , Win , 17–6 , align=left, Jake Woodley , style="font-size:88%", 8–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 16–6 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 0–5 , style="font-size:88%", June 8, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2019 Final X: Rutgers , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.J'den Cox J'den Michael Tbory Cox ( /ˈdʒeɪdən/ ''JAY-dən'', born March 3, 1995) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 92 kilograms. In freestyle, Cox is a two-time World Champion (bronze medalist in 20 ...

, style="font-size:88%", 2–4 , style="font-size:88%", June 7, 2019 , - , Win , 16–4 , align=left, Michael Macchiavello , style="font-size:88%", 5–0 , style="font-size:88%", May 19, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2019 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, - , Win , 15–4 , align=left, Michael Macchiavello , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , style="font-size:88%", May 18, 2019 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , 14–4 , align=left, Hayden Zillmer , style="font-size:88%", TF 13–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, April 24–27, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2019 US Open National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,

, - , Win , 13–4 , align=left, Michael Macchiavello , style="font-size:88%", TF 14–4 , - , Win , 12–4 , align=left, Scottie Boykin , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , - , Win , 11–4 , align=left, Patrick Rhoads , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 10–4 , align=left, Jamal Lewis , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 9–4 , align=left, Nick Heflin , style="font-size:88%", 8–10 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, April 29, 2017 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2017 US Open National Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=6,

, - , Win , 9–3 , align=left, Pat Downey , style="font-size:88%", TF 12–2 , - , Loss , 8–3 , align=left, Richard Perry , style="font-size:88%", 8–10 , - , Win , 8–2 , align=left, John Staudenmayer , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, April 28, 2017 , - , Win , 7–2 , align=left, Timmy McCall , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , - , Win , 6–2 , align=left, Randy Keesler , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , 5–2 , align=left, Nick Heflin , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, April 3, 2016 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, 2016 US Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=7,

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...

, - , Win , 5–1 , align=left, Robert Hamlin , style="font-size:88%", 10–8 , - , Win , 4–1 , align=left, Victor Terrell , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , - , Win , 3–1 , align=left, Frank Richmond , style="font-size:88%", 14–10 , - , Loss , 2–1 , align=left, Kevin Steinhaus , style="font-size:88%", TF 1–12 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Austin Faunce , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Wesley Schultz , style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0 , -

NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Division I Record , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , End of 2018–2019 Season (senior year) , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2019 NCAA Championships at 197 lbs , - , Win , 120–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 5–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 21–23, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2019 NCAA Division I National Championships , - , Win , 119–3 , align=left, Patrick Brucki , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 118–3 , align=left, Nathan Traxler , style="font-size:88%", MD 14–4 , - , Win , 117–3 , align=left, Josh Hokit , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 116–3 , align=left, Ethan Laird , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2019 Big Ten Conference at 197 lbs , - , Win , 115–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 10–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, March 9–10, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2019 Big Ten Conference Championships , - , Win , 114–3 , align=left, Eric Schultz , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , - , Win , 113–3 , align=left, Brad Wilton , style="font-size:88%", TF 19–4 , - , Win , 112–3 , align=left, Brett Perry , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 24, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Buffalo - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 111–3 , align=left, Matt Wroblewski , style="font-size:88%", TF 19–3 , style="font-size:88%", February 17, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State- Illinois Dual , - , Win , 110–3 , align=left, Brad Wilton , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 15, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Michigan State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 109–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 8, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Ohio State Dual , - , Win , 108–3 , align=left, Jackson Striggow , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 2, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Michigan - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 107–3 , align=left, Kleimola Jake , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 27, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Indiana State Dual , - , Win , 106–3 , align=left, Christian Brunner , style="font-size:88%", MD 17–6 , style="font-size:88%", January 25, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Purdue Dual , - , Win , 105–3 , align=left, Eric Schultz , style="font-size:88%", 8–6 , style="font-size:88%", January 20, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Nebraska - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 104–3 , align=left, Beau Breske , style="font-size:88%", MD 14–4 , style="font-size:88%", January 13, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Wisconsin - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 103–3 , align=left, Zack Chakonis , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 11, 2019 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Northwestern Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2019 Southern Scuffle at 197 lbs , - , Win , 102–3 , align=left, Nathan Traxler , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, January 1–2, 2019 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2019 Southern Scuffle , - , Win , 101–3 , align=left, Tom Sleigh , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 100–3 , align=left, Joshua Roetman , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 99–3 , align=left, Luke McGonigal , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 98–3 , align=left, Tyrie Houghton , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 97–3 , align=left, Austyn Harris , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", December 14, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Arizona State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 96–3 , align=left, Jake Jakobsen , style="font-size:88%", TF 19–4 , style="font-size:88%", December 14, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Lehigh - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 95–3 , align=left, Drew Phipps , style="font-size:88%", MD 16–6 , style="font-size:88%", November 30, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Bucknell Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2018 Keystone Classic at 197 lbs , - , Win , 94–3 , align=left, Stephen Loiseau , style="font-size:88%", MD 18–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, November 18, 2018 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2018 Keystone Classic , - , Win , 93–3 , align=left, Ethan Laird , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 92–3 , align=left, Benjamin Markulec , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 91–3 , align=left, Shane Mast , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", November 11, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Maryland - Ohio State Dual , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , Start of 2018–2019 Season (senior year) , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , End of 2017–2018 Season (junior year) , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2018 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs , - , Win , 90–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 15–17, 2018 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2018 NCAA Division I National Championships , - , Win , 89–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 6–3 , - , Win , 88–3 , align=left, Max Dean , style="font-size:88%", 13–7 , - , Win , 87–3 , align=left, Jordan Ellingwood , style="font-size:88%", 10–4 , - , Win , 86–3 , align=left, Martin Mueller , style="font-size:88%", MD 16–4 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2018 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs , - , Win , 85–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 7–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, March 3–4, 2018 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2018 Big Ten Conference Championships , - , Win , 83–3 , align=left, Emery Parker , style="font-size:88%", 5–2 , - , Win , 84–3 , align=left, Brandon Krone , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 82–3 , align=left, Brett Perry , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 18, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Buffalo - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 81–3 , align=left, Mitch Bowman , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 10, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Iowa - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 80–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , style="font-size:88%", February 3, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Ohio State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 79–3 , align=left, Nicholas Gravina , style="font-size:88%", 6–5 , style="font-size:88%", January 28, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Rutgers Dual , - , Win , 78–3 , align=left, Dylan Anderson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 26, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Minnesota - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 77–3 , align=left, Niko Capello , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 21, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Maryland Dual , - , Win , 76–3 , align=left, Max Lyon , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 19, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Purdue - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 75–3 , align=left, Shwan Shadaia , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 14, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State -Michigan State Dual , - , Win , 74–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 5–2 , style="font-size:88%", January 12, 2018 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Michigan Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2018 Southern Scuffle at 184 lbs , - , Win , 73–3 , align=left, Drew Foster , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, January 1–2, 2018 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2018 Southern Scuffle , - , Win , 72–3 , align=left, Nick Renan , style="font-size:88%", MD 12-4 , - , Win , 71–3 , align=left, Stanley Smeltzer , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 70–3 , align=left, Austin Flores , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 69–3 , align=left, Nick Mosco , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 68–3 , align=left, Norman Conley , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", December 17, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Indiana - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 67–3 , align=left, Ryan Preisch , style="font-size:88%", TF 19–4 , style="font-size:88%", December 14, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Lehigh Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2017 Keystone Classic at 184 lbs , - , Win , 66–3 , align=left, Mitch Sliga , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, November 19, 2017 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2017 Keystone Classic , - , Win , 65–3 , align=left, Josh Murphy , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 64–3 , align=left, Kanon Dean , style="font-size:88%", TF 24–9 , - , Win , 63–3 , align=left, Ben Wagner , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 62–3 , align=left, Steve Schneider , style="font-size:88%", MD 15–6 , style="font-size:88%", November 17, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Binghamton Dual , - , Win , 61–3 , align=left, Drew Phipps , style="font-size:88%", TF 16–6 , style="font-size:88%", November 12, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Bucknell - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 60–3 , align=left, Noah Steward , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", November 11, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Army - Penn State Dual , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , Start of 2017–2018 Season (junior year) , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , End of 2016–2017 Season (sophomore year) , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2017 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs , - , Win , 59–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 16–18, 2017 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2017 NCAA Division I National Championships , - , Win , 58–3 , align=left, Sammy Brooks , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 57–3 , align=left, TJ Dudley , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 56–3 , align=left, Steve Schneider , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 55–3 , align=left, Mitch Sliga , style="font-size:88%", TF 15–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2017 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs , - , Win , 54–3 , align=left, TJ Dudley , style="font-size:88%", 14–9 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 4–5, 2017 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2017 Big Ten Conference Championships , - , Win , 53–3 , align=left, Emery Parker , style="font-size:88%", 8–2 , - , Loss , 52–3 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–6 , - , Win , 52–2 , align=left, Hunter Ritter , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 51–2 , align=left, Nolan Boyd , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 19, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State- Oklahoma State Dual , - , Win , 50–2 , align=left, Idris White , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", February 12, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Maryland - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 49–2 , align=left, Emery Parker , style="font-size:88%", MD 18–5 , style="font-size:88%", February 10, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Illinois -Penn State Dual , - , Win , 48–2 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 8–2 , style="font-size:88%", February 3, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Ohio State Dual , - , Win , 47–2 , align=left, Mitch Sliga , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–1 , style="font-size:88%", Januany 29, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Northwestern Dual , - , Win , 46–2 , align=left, Hunter Ritter , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 27, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Wisconsin Dual , - , Win , 45–2 , align=left, Sammy Brooks , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 20, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Iowa Dual , - , Win , 44–2 , align=left, Nicholas Gravina , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 13, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Rutgers - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 43–2 , align=left, TJ Dudley , style="font-size:88%", 10–5 , style="font-size:88%", January 8, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Nebraska Dual , - , Win , 42–2 , align=left, Robert Steveson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", January 6, 2017 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Minnesota Dual , - , Win , 41–2 , align=left, Steve Schneider , style="font-size:88%", TF 18–7 , style="font-size:88%", December 12, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Binghamton - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 40–2 , align=left, Kyle Gentile , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", December 4, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Lehigh - Bucknell Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2016 Keystone Classic at 184 lbs , - , Win , 39–2 , align=left, Mitch Sliga , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, November 20, 2016 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2016 Keystone Classic , - , Win , 38–2 , align=left, Anthony Mancini , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 37–2 , align=left, Kayne MacCallum , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 36–2 , align=left, Elliot Antler , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 35–2 , align=left, Austin Flores , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", November 13, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Standford - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 34–2 , align=left, Samson Imonode , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", November 11, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Army Dual , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , Start of 2016–2017 Season (sophomore year) , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , End of 2015–2016 Season (freshman year) , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2016 NCAA Championships at 174 lbs , - , Loss , 33–2 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 9–11 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 17–19, 2016 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2016 NCAA Division I National Championships , - , Win , 33–1 , align=left, Nate Jackson , style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , - , Win , 32–1 , align=left, Chandler Rogers , style="font-size:88%", MD 15–4 , - , Win , 31–1 , align=left, Micah Barnes , style="font-size:88%", 7–2 , - , Win , 30–1 , align=left, Josef Johnson , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2016 Big Ten Conference at 174 lbs , - , Win , 29–1 , align=left, Zac Brunson , style="font-size:88%", MD 18–9 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, March 5–6, 2016 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2016 Big Ten Conference Championships , - , Win , 28–1 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 27–1 , align=left, Phillip Bakuckas , style="font-size:88%", MD 15–3 , - , Win , 26–1 , align=left, Hestin Lamons , style="font-size:88%", TF 17–2 , style="font-size:88%", February 21, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Oklahoma State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 25–1 , align=left, Travis Curley , style="font-size:88%", TF 24–9 , style="font-size:88%", Feb 13, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Michigan State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 24–1 , align=left, Gordon Wolf , style="font-size:88%", MD 14–6 , style="font-size:88%", Feb 12, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Lehigh Dual , - , Win , 23–1 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 11–5 , style="font-size:88%", February 5, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Ohio State - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 22–1 , align=left, Davonte Mahomes , style="font-size:88%", INJ , style="font-size:88%", January 31, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Michigan - Penn State Dual , - , Win , 21–1 , align=left, Zac Brunson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", Jan 23, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Illinois Dual , - , Win , 20–1 , align=left, Mitch Sliga , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", Jan 17, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Northwestern Dual , - , Win , 19–1 , align=left, Micah Barnes , style="font-size:88%", 10–3 , style="font-size:88%", January 15, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Nebraska - Penn State Dual , - , Loss , 18–1 , align=left, Nate Jackson , style="font-size:88%", 6–7 , style="font-size:88%", January 12, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Indiana Dual , - , Win , 18–0 , align=left, Jacob Morrissey , style="font-size:88%", TF 16–1 , style="font-size:88%", January 8, 2016 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Purdue Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2016 Southern Scuffle at 174 lbs , - , Win , 17–0 , align=left, Ethan Ramos , style="font-size:88%", 11–7 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, January 1–2, 2016 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2016 Southern Scuffle , - , Win , 16–0 , align=left, Brian Realbuto , style="font-size:88%", 14–7 , - , Win , 15–0 , align=left, Mike Ottinger , style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , - , Win , 14–0 , align=left, Fox Baldwin , style="font-size:88%", MD 15–6 , - , Win , 13–0 , align=left, Movahedi Sohrab , style="font-size:88%", TF 20–2 , - , Win , 12–0 , align=left, Randy Roden , style="font-size:88%", TF 17–1 , - , Win , 11–0 , align=left, Wayne Stinson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", December 19, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Rider Dual , - , Win , 10–0 , align=left, Ricky Robertson , style="font-size:88%", MD 15–2 , style="font-size:88%", December 19, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Wisconsin - Penn State Dual , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2015 Nittany Lion Open at 174 lbs , - , Win , 9–0 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, December 6, 2015 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2015 Nittany Lion Open , - , Win , 8–0 , align=left, Anthony Pafumi , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 7–0 , align=left, Domenic Prezzia , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 6–0 , align=left, Nick Stephani , style="font-size:88%", TF 25–8 , - , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Graham Ratermann , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Keaton Subjeck , style="font-size:88%", MD 12–4 , style="font-size:88%", November 22, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State - Stanford Dual , - , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Bryce Hammond , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", November 20, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State – CSU Bakersfield Dual , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Zach Epperly , style="font-size:88%", 6–2 , style="font-size:88%", November 15, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Penn State – Virginia State Dual , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Tyler Wood , style="font-size:88%", TF 21–6 , style="font-size:88%", November 13, 2015 , style="font-size:88%", Lock Havon – Penn State Dual , - ! style=background:lighgrey colspan=6 , Start of 2015–2016 Season (freshman year)

Stats

! Season ! Year ! School ! Rank ! Weigh Class ! Record ! Win ! Bonus , - , 2019 , Senior , rowspan=4,

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

, #1 (1st) , 197 , 30–0 , 100.00% , 90.00% , - , 2018 , Junior , #1 (1st) , 184 , 31–0 , 100.00% , 74.19% , - , 2017 , Sophomore , #2 (1st) , 184 , 26–1 , 96.30% , 77.78% , - , 2016 , Freshman , #1 (2nd) , 174 , 33–2 , 94.29% , 65.71% , - , colspan=5 bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", Career , bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", 120–3 , bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", 97.65% , bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", 76.77%

Submission grappling record

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:left;" , - , colspan=9 style="text-align:center;" , 3 Matches, 0 Wins, 1 Loss (1 Submission), 2 Draws , - ! Result ! Rec. ! Opponent ! Method ! Event ! Division ! Type ! Year ! Location , - , Draw, , style="text-align:center;" , 0–1–2, , Oliver Taza , , Draw (time limit), , rowspan="2" , UFC Fight Pass Invitational 2, , rowspan="2" , Open, , rowspan="2" , Nogi, , rowspan="2" , July 3, 2022, , rowspan="2" ,

, - , Draw, , style="text-align:center;", 0–1–1, , Elliot Kelly , , Draw (time limit) , - , Loss, , style="text-align:center;", 0–1, ,

Gordon Ryan Gordon Ryan (born July 8, 1995) is an American submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1st degree black belt, considered to be the greatest no–gi grappler of all time due to his accomplishments and dominance. Ryan is a Five–time ADCC W ...

, , Submission (triangle choke), , Third Coast Grappling 3, , Superfight, , Nogi, , December 7, 2019, ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, -

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nickal, Bo Living people 1996 births People from Garfield County, Colorado Penn State Nittany Lions wrestlers Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners American male sport wrestlers