The main card of UFC pay-per-view events are usually reserved for the established big names of the sport, but at UFC 290, there is also a showcase for two up-and-coming talents, including one man who was earmarked for stardom long before he ever set foot in the Octagon.
Bo Nickal is a college wrestling phenom whose decision to transition to MMA made big news. Now, after two impressive performances on Dana White’s Contender Series and a dominant UFC debut, Nickal has arrived on the big stage, and already has his sights set on the top of the middleweight division.
He will take on Tresean Gore, who made it through The Ultimate Fighter, but found the transition to the UFC a little tricky. Back-to-back losses meant “Mr. Vicious” made an inauspicious start to life in the Octagon, but a second-round submission over Josh Fremd opened Gore’s UFC account and got him off and running. Now he has the chance to steal the shine from one of the most hyped contenders in MMA since Aaron Pico first arrived in Bellator.
Ahead of the bout, the UFC’s Countdown cameras caught up with both fighters, and their teams, as they made their final preparations for their pivotal matchup. Check it out via the video player below.