Kicking off the main card of UFC 285 tomorrow night is one of the promotion’s top prospects who will be making his official debut. Bo Nickal (3-0) will make his highly anticipated debut and he’s doing it on PPV against Contender Series vet Jamie Pickett (13-8).
Jamie Pickett hasn’t seen a ton of success inside the octagon. After winning a UFC contract on the Contender Series, Pickett has gone just 2-4 in six bouts. He has skill, but let’s be honest, he’s being served up to Bo Nickal tomorrow night in a showcase type of fight.
Bo Nickal had one professional fight when Dana White brought him into the Contender Series last year. After a dominant win, White didn’t give him a contract. Instead, he brought him back for one more Contender Series fight and he scored another finish earning him a UFC contract.
UFC 285 Prediction
When looking at this fight, it’s really going to come down to survival for Pickett. Bo Nickal has some of if not the best wrestling in all of the UFC. He has very good submissions and we’ve also seen how dynamic he looks on the feet with tremendous power.
Simply put, Nickal looks like the whole package. So, how can Pickett pull off the massive upset? It’s going to come down to keeping the fight at range and fighting long. If Pickett can keep Nickal at the end of his shots and keep the fight at distance, he has a shot.
However, I just don’t see it happening. Frankly, I don’t see the fight lasting beyond the first round. I think Nickal will land big on the feet before getting a takedown and finishing things from there.
Prediction: Bo Nickal by TKO – Round 1