What could be a greater accomplishment for an athlete than being acknowledged by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Ask fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov who got a shoutout from Russian president Vladimir Putin, after his win over Conor McGregor. Or even Valentina Shevchenko, who received the Dank Order in 2019 from Sooronbay Jeenbekov, president of Kyrgyzstan. This is exactly what happened to UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal, who, before embarking on his undefeated MMA career, was a dominant force in collegiate wrestling. While Nickal isn’t the first UFC fighter to receive praise from President Donald Trump, he is one of the few newer fighters in the organization to catch the President’s eye.

Donald Trump recognized the NCAA Division-1 wrestler’s exceptional achievements before the 2024 election during his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (episode #2219), where the President referred to him as a “great fighter.” In the weeks that followed, Bo Nickal has recently reflected on the impact of receiving such high praise from the President.

How Trump’s Recognition Impacted Bo Nickal

Bo Nickal’s next fight is against the Scottish grappling sensation Paul Craig at the UFC’s upcoming annual Madison Square Garden event, UFC 309. Despite his intense training schedule, Nickal recently took time to appear on his YouTube podcast, Nickels and Dimes. Alongside his co-hosts, he opened with a lighthearted discussion on Harry Potter, which soon shifted to the 2024 election and the high praise he’d received from Donald Trump.

At this point, his co-host Ronan Bell mentioned the flood of text messages he received about Nickal after Trump’s shoutout. Nodding, Bo Nickal shared, “I got, uh, like 50 texts that morning, and then a bunch trickled in throughout the day. The next day, I still got a few more. People were like, ‘Saw your friend mention you on that podcast.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s my dog, my guy.’”

Since his debut in the UFC, Bo Nickal has become a force to be reckoned with in the promotion, showcasing the same dominance he displayed in his collegiate wrestling days. However, this time, he faces a new challenge against BJJ expert Paul Craig. With rumors suggesting that Donald Trump may be attending the upcoming Madison Square Garden showdown to watch him compete, Nickal is on the spot to put forth his best performance yet.

Bo Nickal’s Plan to Beat Paul Craig at UFC 309

Bo Nickal’s upcoming five-round battle at Madison Square Garden is set to be one of his toughest challenges yet. At 6-0, and five wins under the UFC banner, Nickal has mostly faced lesser known fighters, finishing all his opponents in the first round due. However, facing Paul Craig marks the beginning of a new journey for Nickal in the promotion. This fight will be a true test for Nickal as the stakes are higher than ever, with the President possibly in attendance and the added pressure to secure a dominant win, edging closer to a title shot.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Nickal shared his blueprint for success, saying, “This is a good step up with Paul Craig, so I need to take care of business. Then, I want to fight two more unranked guys, and then fight a ranked guy. At that point, I’ll be 7-0, 8-0, 9-0, fight a ranked guy, then 10-0, 11-0, probably fight a top-five guy, and then fight for the belt around 12-0. That’s what I’m planning right now. We’ll see, but I’m definitely zoomed in on this next fight.”

Despite Nickal’s dominance, the American wrestler has no intention of rushing towards a title shot. Speaking to Demetrious Johnson in his ‘Mightycast’, Nickal revealed how he’d like to take time honing his skills before taking a crack at the title – “For me, the most important thing is developing. I don’t want to skip steps in my growth.” That hasn’t stopped Nickal from taking shots at #3-ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev, insisting that he has the tools to beat ‘Borz’. However, before all that, he has to get past Paul Craig.

What’s your take on the upcoming UFC 309 middleweight fight between Bo Nickal and Paul Craig? With his dominant wrestling background, do you think Nickal can neutralize the BJJ expert and seasoned grappler Craig? Drop your prediction below.