REPORT | Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig in the works for UFC 309

A middleweight clash between the unbeaten Bo Nickal and Paul Craig is reportedly in the works for UFC 309 on November 16th.

Australian MMA insider Benny P. was the first to report the news of the targeted Nickal vs. Craig matchup.

Nickal will face his toughest UFC test to date against Craig, one of the most skilled grapplers in the middleweight division. The former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler most recently defeated Cody Brundage at UFC 300.

Nickal has blossomed into a UFC star just a handful of fights into his MMA career. After back-to-back first-round finishes on Dana White’s Contender Series, he’s 3-0 in his UFC tenure.

Nickal made his professional MMA debut in June 2022, knocking out John Noland in 33 seconds at iKON FC 3. Two months later, he made his first appearance on DWCS, submitting Zachary Borrego in just over a minute.

Bo Nickal faces his toughest MMA test vs. Paul Craig

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Nickal faces a steep mountain to climb against Craig, who has had an up-and-down run at 185lbs since cutting from light heavyweight. He most recently fell to Caio Borralho at UFC 301 by second-round knockout.

Craig has earned wins over the likes of Jamahal Hill, Shogun Rua, and Nikita Krylov during his UFC tenure. The 36-year-old Craig is a complicated puzzle to solve for any opponent.

Nickal’s wrestling base will face a challenge against Craig’s guard, arguably one of the best in the UFC. But, the two middleweights have also shown to be capable strikers if opportunities present themselves.

The Nickal vs. Craig winner will move a step closer to the middleweight Top 15. More fights for UFC 309 are expected to be booked and announced in the coming weeks.

UFC 309 is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Although, as of this writing, the UFC hasn’t formally announced the fight.