Breakout star Bo Nickal’s submission win under scrutiny as Jamie Pickett plans to appeal UFC 285 result

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Bo Nickal denies delivering an illegal low-blow during his Middleweight showcase showdown last night (Sat., March 4, 2023) at UFC 285, which took place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nickal was successful in his highly-anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, submitting Jamie Pickett in the first round (watch highlights). In fact, fhe former three-time NCAA Division I national championship-winning wrestler earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his impressive win.

While it was a pretty flawless performance, there was some controversy afterward as Pickett (and the Internet) claimed he was hit with a low blow that led to the takedown, which sealed his fate.

During his post-fight interview, Nickal responded to the dick kick accusation.

“It’s weird, bro,” Nickal told reporters. “Honestly, I know exactly what happened. I hit him in the leg, in the thigh. I had him in a bad position along the wall. He wanted to get off the wall, and he wanted the ref to stop it. If I were to have actually hit him low, I would feel bad because I don’t want to win that way. I’m not a cheater. I’m not somebody who tries to take shortcuts. So if I did hit him low, I would’ve just relaxed probably or let the ref stop it. But I didn’t hit him low at all, so it’s a weird move, bro.”

According to MMA Junkie, Pickett and his management plan to file an appeal with Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to overturn the submission win to a “No Contest.” That will probably arrive on the executive director’s desk dead on arrival, but “Nightwolf” feels he was wronged nevertheless.

Meanwhile, the submission loss to Nickal was Pickett’s third in a row — he falls to a 2-5 in UFC — and it’s unclear if a last-minute appeal will do him any favors job-wise moving forward. Nickal, on the other hand, remained undefeated (4-0) and is looking to fight again in July.

For complete UFC 285 results and highlights click HERE.