Bo Nickal got wrecked

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

9 hours ago, 1032004 said:

Hasn’t he admitted to being on roids or something now?

He is on doctor prescribed TRT now, not when he was fighting.  He has made this clear.  

[Xmas32]

On 5/5/2025 at 12:14 PM, mspart said:

Cedudo lost the last two matches I saw.   He looked listless and not willing to do anything aggressive.   Has he had more fights since then?   That was about a year ago. 

mspart

The last two fights weren't great for Cejudo if those are the ones you're referring to. He got dominated by Merab Dvalishvili who is the current Bantamweight champ and to be fair, has a gas tank that makes Messenbrink look like he's standing still. His most recent fight was against Song Yadong and Cejudo was getting pieced up some but Yadong had more than a few eye pokes in that match. If you're looking for more 'peak' Cejudo check out his fights from about 2018-2020 before he retired/took off 3 years. If you're curious on the age front, Cejudo was 30 or 31 when he won the title.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

I'm no expert, but I do listen to the experts.  A lot of what I heard was:

- Bo hasn't evolved enough to be a real threat to strike with good guys or submit them

- Bo needs to mix in at least the threat of the takedown

- Bo needs to be willing and able to use his wrestling when needed.  

- Bo was too easily bothered by some of the weaker shots he was taking

- DC and Chael appeared to question Bo's toughness and willingness to FIGHT when things got tough for him on Saturday.  DC brought up Mark Ellis who trained with AKA and gave up after one MMA fight, bc he realized that he wasn't mentally cut out for it.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

I'm no expert, but I do listen to the experts.  A lot of what I heard was:

- Bo hasn't evolved enough to be a real threat to strike with good guys or submit them

- Bo needs to mix in at least the threat of the takedown

- Bo needs to be willing and able to use his wrestling when needed.  

- Bo was too easily bothered by some of the weaker shots he was taking

- DC and Chael appeared to question Bo's toughness and willingness to FIGHT when things got tough for him on Saturday.  DC brought up Mark Ellis who trained with AKA and gave up after one MMA fight, bc he realized that he wasn't mentally cut out for it.

The biggest part is Bo can't take a punch.  Everything else is irrelevant if you go into flight mode upon taking any damage.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

The biggest part is Bo can't take a punch.  Everything else is irrelevant if you go into flight mode upon taking any damage.

Apparently he chooses not to take a punch.  Prob doesn't get punched during training.

Maybe he should go back to blue hair?

[PortaJohn]

2 hours ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

I'm no expert, but I do listen to the experts.  A lot of what I heard was:

- Bo hasn't evolved enough to be a real threat to strike with good guys or submit them

- Bo needs to mix in at least the threat of the takedown

- Bo needs to be willing and able to use his wrestling when needed.  

- Bo was too easily bothered by some of the weaker shots he was taking

- DC and Chael appeared to question Bo's toughness and willingness to FIGHT when things got tough for him on Saturday.  DC brought up Mark Ellis who trained with AKA and gave up after one MMA fight, bc he realized that he wasn't mentally cut out for it.

Bo should be training with Cormier (AKA) and the Dagestani's when they're in the US.  ATT is a great team but I don't think they have the right playbook for someone like Bo.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

2 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

Bo should be training with Cormier (AKA) and the Dagestani's when they're in the US.  ATT is a great team but I don't think they have the right playbook for someone like Bo.

AKA definitely works for guys with wrestling base.  Cormier and Cain, amongst others, became competent strikers who could still effectively wrestle.  I'm not sure what Bo is trying to do?  Does he think he's going to become a brawler like Gaethje or Chandler?

[BarSeries]

Eric Bischoff should give Bo a call..........

[mspart]

What has Bo said about his loss?   Does it spur him to improve and continue or is he rethinking this plan of MMA?

mspart

[PortaJohn]

7 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

AKA definitely works for guys with wrestling base.  Cormier and Cain, amongst others, became competent strikers who could still effectively wrestle.  I'm not sure what Bo is trying to do?  Does he think he's going to become a brawler like Gaethje or Chandler?

I don't think Bo knew what to do in that fight.  RDR has experience, is  6' 4" (height & length), big (fought at heavier weights), has world class submissions, and is a competent striker (dutch thai boxing).  It was a perfect storm.

As for Bo's style in general I haven't been able to figure it out.  He's been head and shoulders above his competition so far that I think he's still trying to figure it out.  My opinion is Cain Velasquez's style would be a great blue print for Bo.  Nickal has decent hands.  I hope he doesn't go the Gaethje/Chandler route.  He's far more talented than those two.  He has potential but I really think AKA would be the right move.

[Caveira]

36 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Apparently he chooses not to take a punch.  Prob doesn't get punched during training.

Maybe he should go back to blue hair?

Winner lol 

8 minutes ago, mspart said:

What has Bo said about his loss?   Does it spur him to improve and continue or is he rethinking this plan of MMA?

mspart

It’s like bro - we’re the us milirary….

In UFC, everybody has this crazy, I guess, view of Dagestan and the way they do things. I mean, they're really good, great fighters, I'm impressed. But people have no idea what we do. The system that we have, what we're used to at Penn State, it's not even comparable. It's like, bro, we're talking like AAA baseball to the Major Leagues. It's different. We're part of a legit, organized... I look at it like the military. It's like we're the U.S. military.

- bo nickal.   Feb 2025 on his podcast 

[PortaJohn]

13 minutes ago, mspart said:

What has Bo said about his loss?   Does it spur him to improve and continue or is he rethinking this plan of MMA?

mspart

Saw one clip where he showed humility and said RDR is just a better, more experienced and skilled fighter.  He followed with the generic, "I have to get better".  

Edited 19 hours ago by PortaJohn

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

Just now, PortaJohn said:

I don't think Bo knew what to do in that fight.  RDR has experience, is  6' 4" (height & length), big (fought at heavier weights), has world class submissions, and is a competent striker (dutch thai boxing).  It was a perfect storm.

As for Bo's style in general I haven't been able to figure it out.  He's been head and shoulders above his competition so far that I think he's still trying to figure it out.  My opinion is Cain Velasquez's style would be a great blue print for Bo.  Nickal has decent hands.  I hope he doesn't go the Gaethje/Chandler route.  He's far more talented than those two.  He has potential but I really think AKA would be the right move.

In no way is he a more talented striker than Gaethje or Chandler nor is he able to take a shot.  He began his MMA journey in 2019 and has very little growth to show for it.  

Other than my opinion of his striking relative to the other two wrestlers, I'm just parrotting things that guys like Cormier and Sonnen have said.

[ionel]

Just now, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

 nor is he able to take a shot. 

... wait ... what?  

[PortaJohn]

2 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

In no way is he a more talented striker than Gaethje or Chandler nor is he able to take a shot.  He began his MMA journey in 2019 and has very little growth to show for it.  

Other than my opinion of his striking relative to the other two wrestlers, I'm just parrotting things that guys like Cormier and Sonnen have said.

At this stage is his career he's more talented than both of them in striking.  Michael Chandler just learned head movement a couple years ago and Gaethje has no real boxing skills.  He just puts his head down and swings.  Luckily he has hammers for fists

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

1 minute ago, PortaJohn said:

At this stage is his career he's more talented than both of them in striking.  Michael Chandler just learned head movement a couple years ago and Gaethje has no real boxing skills.  He just puts his head down and swings.  Luckily he has hammers for fists

Are you comparing him vs those guys with the same experience of NOW? Gaethje's leg kicks are better than anything in Bo's arsenal.  Power is part of being talented.  So is the ability to take shots and not quit and continue to fight.  Both Chandler and Gaethje have warred with and defeated excellent fighters with their striking.  Nickal... not so much.

[PortaJohn]

8 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Are you comparing him vs those guys with the same experience of NOW? Gaethje's leg kicks are better than anything in Bo's arsenal.  Power is part of being talented.  So is the ability to take shots and not quit and continue to fight.  Both Chandler and Gaethje have warred with and defeated excellent fighters with their striking.  Nickal... not so much.

What I am saying is Bo has more talent to become a better skillful striker with his hands like Cain Velasquez.  Neither Gaethje or Chandler have that talent nor did they ever possess that.  Poirier pieced them both up because both of them have the same blueprint; head down, move forward, swing.  Their hand skills are average.  

And yes, Gaethje has an awesome leg kick.  His KO of Poirier in the rematch was nuts

Edited 19 hours ago by PortaJohn

[Truzzcat]

26 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

I don't think Bo knew what to do in that fight.  RDR has experience, is  6' 4" (height & length), big (fought at heavier weights), has world class submissions, and is a competent striker (dutch thai boxing).  It was a perfect storm.

As for Bo's style in general I haven't been able to figure it out.  He's been head and shoulders above his competition so far that I think he's still trying to figure it out.  My opinion is Cain Velasquez's style would be a great blue print for Bo.  Nickal has decent hands.  I hope he doesn't go the Gaethje/Chandler route.  He's far more talented than those two.  He has potential but I really think AKA would be the right move.

Justin outstruck fiziev in two fights and Fiziev is one of the best pure strikers in the MMA. His striking has gotten very good under Trevor Wittman.

 

Edit: he also ko'd and outstruck poirier the last time they fought.

Edited 19 hours ago by Truzzcat

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

Just now, PortaJohn said:

What I am saying is Bo has more talent to become a better skillful striker with his hands like Cain Velasquez.  Neither Gaethje or Chandler have that talent nor did they ever possess that.  Poirier pieced them both up because both of them have the same blueprint; head down, move forward, swing.  They're hand skills are average.  

Bo may be a better athlete than those two, but he isn't half the fighter.  I hope he becomes that guy, but spamming overhand rights like he's playing a video game is not the way to do it.  He has to become far more skillful, and not be so bothered by the slightest strike or the first time something doesn't go according to plan.  He wilted.  The wilt was both cardio and in terms of his willingness to deal with damage.  Maybe it was a liver kick that put him down, but the fight was trending in the wrong way way before that.

[PortaJohn]

Just now, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Bo may be a better athlete than those two, but he isn't half the fighter.  I hope he becomes that guy, but spamming overhand rights like he's playing a video game is not the way to do it.  He has to become far more skillful, and not be so bothered by the slightest strike or the first time something doesn't go according to plan.  He wilted.  The wilt was both cardio and in terms of his willingness to deal with damage.  Maybe it was a liver kick that put him down, but the fight was trending in the wrong way way before that.

For sure.  He looked bad.  Like really bad

[Hammerlock3]

44 minutes ago, BarSeries said:

Eric Bischoff should give Bo a call..........

As a former pro wrestling guy I doubt it. In terms of charisma Bo makes Steveson look like Julius Caesar. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

10 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

As a former pro wrestling guy I doubt it. In terms of charisma Bo makes Steveson look like Julius Caesar. 

I feel like there's an opportunity in pro wrestling for a mouthy edgelord heel. He'd do well in that character

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

16 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

As a former pro wrestling guy I doubt it. In terms of charisma Bo makes Steveson look like Julius Caesar. 

Don't tell Bo that! He thinks he is full of 'rizz.

Honestly, I was not a fan of his in college.  I liked his style but couldn't stand his blue hair or most of his interviews.  Guy was good though.  I have been rooting for him in MMA, though.  Honestly, I have been rooting for him in the way that Mineo thinks we should all be rooting for him.  He's a wrestler; I support wrestlers.  At the same time, I am fine with Iowa (or other) fans who wanted him to be humbled.  It is their right, and the guy has been cringe.  But what I saw against Paul Craig, and even worse against RDR, has left me very disappointed in him.

[MPhillips]

13 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

He thinks he is full of 'rizz.

FFS...

[Hammerlock3]

16 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

I feel like there's an opportunity in pro wrestling for a mouthy edgelord heel. He'd do well in that character

He's not an edgelord though. he's more like someone with main character syndrome whose plot just collapsed.