Jon Anik defends Bo Nickal's UFC 300 main card placement: 'There's just a different electricity'
Jon Anik justifies why Bo Nickal should be on the UFC 300 main card.
Nickal (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) opens up the April 13 main card against Cody Brundage (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, placing him above the likes of former champion Jiri Prochazka, former champ Aljamain Sterling and the UFC debut of two-time PFL winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison.
The UFC’s lead play-by-play commentator argues that the lure surrounding standout wrestler Nickal warrants a main card spot, even though the matchup against Brundage may not be that intriguing.
“Khamzat Chimaev, I would even throw out there 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., Bo Nickal – there’s just a different electricity when it comes to some of these guys,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “You parlay their fight style with the expectation, and the pressure, and the fan intrigue, and I just think Bo Nickal checks a lot of boxes.
“For us, when we get through our pay-per-view open, and we have that exhale moment, when we get to sit down and watch that first fight on pay-per-view with all the masses around the world, that’s a very strategic position on the card. It’s a prime slot. Maybe at times you don’t get as many people as seen on during the featured prelim on ESPN, but they don’t mess around when it comes to that first fight. I can’t necessarily speak to Cody Brundage and the decision to feature him against Bo Nickal.”
According to BetMGM, Nickal is a whopping -2100 favorite, meaning it would take a $2,100 bet on the rising star to return a $100 profit. Brundage is a +1100 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Factory X fighter would win $1,100 profit.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.