Justin Gaethje does not expect things to become easier for Bo Nickal after his first defeat in mixed martial arts.
Nickal, a triple NCAA Division I National Champion and three times Big Ten Conference Champion of Pennsylvania State University, enjoyed a fast start of life in MMA.
The 29-year-old was quickly signed at the UFC as the latest collegial wrestler of the promotion, became a mixed martial artist, after he had included two victories in the Contender Series of Dana White to move to 3-0 in the cage.
While four straight victories followed, the former two-division title holder Reinier De Ridder of one Nickal Championship ended via TKO, making an obstacle too high for the middleweight prospect of UFC des Moines last May.
Another ex-sausage player who has found great success in MMA thinks he knows where Nickal went wrong.
Justin Gaethje says that Bo Nickal made a mistake by going directly to the UFC
During an appearance on the improvised podcast, Gaethje discussed the first career loss of Nickal in MMA.
Gaethje, who became the first Northern Colorado wrestler who achieved all-American status division I since Larry Wagner in 1970, received considerable experience in MMA before he came to the UFC, in particular a champion under the WSOF banner.
Because Nickal did not follow a similar approach, 'The Locking' believes that the prospect has a 'rough road ahead' in the all -embracing sport.
“The sports (wrestling and mma) are not the same. This sport is so much better for me. But then Bo Nickal would say the opposite,” said Gaethje. “I feel bad for Bo Nickal because it is now a rough road ahead. I am a big fan of that guy and I think he has all the skills in the world, but it is not the same sport.
“You can't consider it the same sport. You can't think that you're going outside and dominating someone in a wrestling match for 15 minutes and win a fight because you get tired. … A wrestling match from the university is seven minutes.
“And there are also grabs at the elite level that when you bring them down, they get up,” Gaethje added. “You have to learn how you can be an athlete and a striker, because that is where the fight begins. He was so dominant in his struggle that nobody was:” (weak) hey, this is another sport. “If you get into a fight where you can't get someone, what are you going to do?
“He is on a fast path. He could have fought through the regional scenes, fought through the PFL, through Bellator, as I did. I had 16 fights before I went to UFC … Eventually you fight the elite fight, and this is the elite of the sport.”
Bo Nickal set to reduce struggle after UFC against
Given what Gaethje said about Nickal's need to concentrate in areas of MMA, apart from wrestling, the latest news about the 29-year-old career cannot please him.
Nickal will return to the wrestling next to his UFC career, which was recently signed with the real American Freestyle wrestling organization, which is supervised by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, former WCW senior vice -president Eric Bischoff, and struggling coach Izy Martinez.
“Bo Nickal is a great athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet,” Hogan said in a release (H/T MMA Fighting). “Nickal immediately raises the RAF roster to new heights with its competitiveness and experience. When fans attend a RAF event, they know they will see the best of the best on the mat.”
In the meantime, Nickal has pointed out on October or November as the desired timeline for his UFC referee, while he seems to bounce back from his first taste of defeat in the cage.