UFC 290 is just around the corner and opinions are flooding in. From MMA icons like Chael Sonnen to champions like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski – almost every MMA guru has pitched their two cents on the stacked PPV card. One of the rising stars that are featured on the card is Bo Nickal – an NCAA champion wrestler, who has caught the eyes of many reputed MMA experts. According to popular opinion, he’s been labeled as the UFC’s ‘new’ Brock Lesnar.

The American’s impressive 4-0 record speaks volumes about his caliber as a fighter. What’s more – in a recent interview with UFC Hall-of-Famer Michael Bisping, he unveiled a personal side to his motivations and shared a potential future plan for himself that’s much similar to ‘The Next Big Thing’s roadmap to glory.

“The Count” recently sat down with the Middleweight rising star ahead of his fight at UFC 290 against Val Woodburn. The duo talked about his upcoming bout, and his approach to the future. 

Bo Nickal on exploring parallels with Brock Lesnar:

Nickal, when asked about the parallels between his career and that of Lesnar, admitted to certain similarities. But he also expressed his eagerness to learn from legends like Lesnar. While their paths differ, with Lesnar starting as a wrestler before transitioning to the WWE and then achieving success in the UFC, Nickal sees the potential for a similar career trajectory.

So, Nickal exuberantly told Bisping, “100 percent—I think that anybody that’s achieved the things that I want to achieve—I want to learn from them. Brock Lesnar was an NCAA Champion. He was a WWE Superstar. He’s a UFC champion.” 

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Clearly, the middleweight fighter has immense respect for role models like Brock Lesnar.

Possible blueprint for Bo Nickal’s legacy?

Bo has already accomplished one of his goals by becoming an NCAA Champion. Yet, Nickal is willing to pursue the UFC championship and, potentially, explore the world of professional wrestling with WWE. In the same vein, Nickal added, “I want to be a UFC champion, and maybe eventually cross over to the WWE at some point.” 

Moreover, he sees the crossover as an exciting opportunity, envisioning it as “I think that could be – it could be something that’s fun.” Nickal’s optimism shines through as he looks ahead to a bright future.

For now, he has an upcoming fight to focus on. Meanwhile, this is Woodburn’s debut match – so the odds are stacked against the challenger. What do you think? Who will come out on top?

Will it be Bo Nickal or debutant Val Woodburn? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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