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Bo Nickal closes out UFC 322 prelims with incredible one-shot KO

The former NCAA wrestling standout brought the Madison Square Garden fans to their feet.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

Bo Nickal returned to the win column in emphatic fashion when he closed out the UFC 322 prelims with a huge knockout.

The UFC's annual show at Madison Square Garden was as stacked as fans have come to expect, with Nickal closing out the prelims against Rodolfo Vieira before a highly-anticipated main card topped by a pair of championship bouts.

Before Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang stepped into the cage to challenge Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko, Nickal rebounded from his first MMA loss by flooring Rodolfo Vieira with an incredible head kick.

Bo Nickal Scores Huge Head Kick KO In UFC Return

Easily one of the most highly-touted prospects in the history of MMA, former NCAA wrestling standout Nickal made the jump to pro MMA in 2022 after winning a pair of amateur bouts the previous year.

READ MORE: UFC 322 free live stream results & highlights for Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev

Back-to-back wins on Dana White's Contender Series brought Nickal's pro record to 5-0 before he was formally added to the UFC roster, and the 29-year-old hit the ground running in 2023 with a pair of first-round finishes of Val Woodburn and Jamie Pickett.

Nickal picked up two more wins before being upset by former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder earlier this year, and at UFC 322 he was matched up with a former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion in Vieira.

Nowhere near as heavily-favored as he was in his previous UFC outings, Nickal looked like he might score an early finish at UFC 322 when he slammed Vieira to the mat and started battering him with punches.

READ MORE: UFC newcomer upsets undefeated KO artist on 2 days' notice at UFC 322

"The Black Belt Hunter" survived the early onslaught but struggled to find any real success with his striking or takedowns, and in the third round Nickal connected with a head kick that put Vieira flat on his back.

Nickal's victory closed out the UFC 322 prelims on a major high note, and the early portion of the Madison Square Garden also featured impressive finishes from Baisangur Susurkaev, Kyle Daukaus, and Erin Blanchfield.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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