UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal has challenged the accuracy of reports about his alleged comments regarding an impromptu grappling session with heavyweight champion Jon Jones at the UFC Performance Institute.
The controversy stems from Nickal’s appearance on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, where he discussed an encounter with Jones before UFC 309. During the podcast, which was captured on video, Nickal described a brief grappling exchange where Jones allegedly went “100%” and attempted a foot sweep. According to the footage, Nickal stated, “I don’t fall but then I’m like I’m not going to take you down in front of 50 people like in the middle of the makeup room.”
However, Nickal has since taken to Twitter to dispute these reports. In a tweet, he claimed the quote was taken out of context, stating it was part of a series of hyperbolic claims including beating “Steph in a 3 point contest, throw a football further than Josh Allen, hit a homer off Ohtani, and beat Cole Hocker in the 1500m.” He criticized the reporting as “straight up irresponsible journalism.”
The situation is particularly interesting given Jones’s previous acknowledgment of Nickal’s wrestling prowess. A year before the incident, when told that Nickal claimed he could beat him in wrestling, Jones conceded, “He probably could, dude. Honestly, I’m not the best at anything. I’m just really good at mixing it all together.”
A review of the full podcast episode reveals that immediately before the controversial comments, Nickal had been discussing wrestling in MMA, showing considerable respect for Jones’s abilities. He included Jones among his top wrestlers in UFC history, praising his ability to implement wrestling effectively, particularly in his bout against Ciryl Gane.
Nickal, a decorated wrestler with three NCAA titles and the 2019 Hodge Trophy, maintains an undefeated 7-0 professional MMA record. Jones, while better known for his striking in recent years, also has a strong wrestling background, having earned All-American status and an NCAA championship in 2006.
Nickal did not mention any of what he said he did in said interview. Now considering the actual podcast is froma year ago and the short went viral last week it’s possible he’s misremembering. Either way, Nickal did in fact say that but there was additional context around it that potentially softens the expression.
