Nickal to face Gore at UFC 290 July 8 in Vegas

Middleweight super prospect Bo Nickal has booked his next assignment in the UFC.

Nickal (4-0) will face Tresean Gore at UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas. Nickal announced the fight with one of his sponsors, betr. Gore has also referenced the matchup on social media.

A three-time NCAA Division I champion wrestler at Penn State University, Nickal has taken an extreme fast track through his mixed martial arts journey. He appeared on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in just his second pro bout, and signed with the UFC with a record of just 3-0. He won his UFC debut in March via submission.

Despite Nickal’s lack of experience, expectations are already sky-high for the 27-year-old. He told ESPN he hopes to be considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world by 2024.

Gore (4-2) is coming off a submission win over Josh Fremd in October, which was his first victory in the UFC. The 28-year-old was 0-2 in the Octagon prior to the win. He earned his way into the promotion as a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2021.

UFC 290 will also feature a featherweight title unification bout between Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez.