The fight at UFC 309 was an interesting middleweight battle on the main card where undefeated Bo Nickal (6-0) faced off with submission wizard Paul Craig (17-8-1). Much was anticipated in all the buildup towards the fight for Nickal before the fight, as he was expected to take on an immense amount of hype in the octagon.
The 185-pounder made his debut in the UFC after being selected in the Contender series over welterweight Bo Nickal, who was unbeaten before UFC 309. Nickal also came off back-to-back wins on the Contender Series to remain undefeated in his first three UFC fights. However, the fight against Craig was going to be his toughest challenge yet.
Paul Craig was also making his second appearance in this division after having competed in both—with less success at the new weight class; 1-2. Despite the recent losses, Craig’s Submission wins over prospects like Hill Ankalaev made him a dangerous threat on the ground. He was very much motivated to dethrone Bo Nickal’s hype train and come out as a contender in the division.
Round 1: Craig’s Pressure and Nickel’s Calf Kicks
The fight also began without any glove touch, and Bo Nickal started it right away and put the pressure on Craig. From the early stage of the fight, Bo Nickal demonstrated his accurate kicks to the shin of Paul Craig. In their attacking responses, Craig was moving on the perimeter and tried to throw and land his punches. However, the early going saw Nickal succumbing to pressure from Craig, who began landing a couple of good kicks and body shots. The two fighters used loose kicks and punches early on, but Craig’s constant mobility and counterstriking gave him the slightest of advantages in the first round.
Round 2: Both Fighters Find Their Rhythm
Heading into the second round tied, Craig appeared to become even more aggressive in his approach, starting to tease Bo Nickal while landing clear strikes. Bo Nickal began to step up the pace further, finding the range and landing short combinations to Paul’s head and a few thunderous shots, including a spectacular left hook. Bo Nickal and his counterpart exchanged blows; however, thanks to his powerful midsection kicks and counterattacks, it was a Bo Nickal advantage.
One must caveat that pressure from Craig and his rather good tendency to deliver clean counters evened up the round. Towards the halfway point of the second one, it was one for each team, nineteen to nineteen.
Round 3: Analysis of Nickel’s Control and Late Surge
The final was the usual round, and Craig was quick to attack again, to keep his lead. While using high pressure on Bo Nickal, Craig started getting back to hitting the target, finally scoring a big left-hand shot over the top that appeared to stun Craig. At some point, it became evident that Bo Nickal had turned the tide of the fight and was now on top in the final half of the round. Nickal, therefore, took charge of the pace as Craig’s pressure lessened in the last five rounds. After that round, the score drew out again, but due to the sheer force at the end of the round, the fight ended 29-28 in favor of Nickal.
Conclusion
Bo Nickal finally passed the sternest examination of his career by winning a closely contested fight with Paul Craig. Even though some issues happened, Nickal was able to keep pushing through, and transition from his back and consequently win a unanimous decision over Craig. Nickal takes the victory and remains unbeaten in his MMA career and he is the new middleweight sensation.
