Raul Rosas Jr. may have stolen some of Bo Nickal’s hype on Dana White’s Contender Series, but the standout wrestler thinks there’s room for everyone.
Nickal (2-0) came in as one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory at DWCS 49, but his quick TKO of Zachary Borrego more than a month ago wasn’t enough for a UFC deal. Instead, Nickal has been given another opportunity on the show when he meets Donovan Beard at DWCS 56 on Tuesday.
Rosas (6-0), on the other hand, was awarded a UFC deal a week ago when he defeated Mando Gutierrez by unanimous decision at DWCS 55, making him, at 17, the youngest fighter ever signed by the promotion. Nickal admitted he didn’t watch Rosas’ fight, but is solely worried about his own journey.
“I don’t really care – do your thing,” Nickal said in an interview with Full Send. “Good for you – the youngest fighter on the roster. Congratulations. That’s amazing – amazing accomplishment. I’m not really one to hate at all, so do your thing. That’s dope. I’m on my own path.
“My path, I’m comfortable with it and I know where I’m headed and my trajectory, where I’m going, so I’m not really worried about anyone else. Seeing these young guys succeed, that hypes me up. I want everybody to win. So for me, at the end of the day, I focus on what I can control and go out there and do what I need to do.”
Nickal has aspirations of becoming the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and vows to make his official UFC debut before the end of the year.
“One hundred percent you’ll see me in the UFC octagon, probably December,” Nickal said. “I’m looking at obviously this fight first, take care of business, do what I need to do, and then from there … I want to stay active. I want to fight as much as possible, get experience, and you’ll 100 percent see me in an octagon before the end of the year.”
