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Bo Nickal Excited For RBY To Push Himself | UFC Fight Pass
Bo Nickal Shares Why Teammate And Friend Roman Bravo-Young Is Must-See TV At The FIGHT PASS Invitational 4.
As a man who has both competed at the FIGHT PASS Invitational and shared a training facility with FPI 4 athlete Roman Bravo-Young for years, Bo Nickal is more than qualified to predict fireworks at the FIGHT PASS Invitational 4.
With the Olympics around the corner and some of the highest demand a wrestler has had in recent memory, it would be nothing for Penn State grad Roman Bravo-Young to pick and choose his next venture favorably and carefully. Instead, the two-time National Champion saw a Dana White promo for the FIGHT PASS Invitational and immediately inquired. Pushing ego and risk out of his mind, Bravo-Young would put himself in unfamiliar territory for the first time in decades and it came as a surprise to…nobody.
MORE FIGHT PASS INVITATIONAL: Main Card Preview | All Matchups | Watch The UFC FIGHT PASS Invitational 4 Live June 29
“I think that it says that he is excited to compete and eager to learn something new,” Explained UFC middleweight and friend of Bravo-Young, Bo Nickal. “For me, kind of relating to my transition to MMA and different combat sports, it was something where I wasn’t afraid to throw myself into the deep end and I feel like he feels the same way. He wants to push himself and compete and see what it is all about.”
As a man who came off winning three National titles and put himself in a no-win situation taking on Gordon Ryan in a grappling match, Nickal knows exactly what would drive a person to dive straight into a challenge the way Bravo-Young is.
In addition to being ultra-competitive human beings, the Penn State wrestling room has taught every wrestler that putting yourself in uncomfortable positions is the fastest way to hone your skills. Sure, there are going to be new followers, more exposure and a new fanbase, but stepping into a different sport and feeling the discomfort of being the underdog will only make Bravo-Young an even more dangerous wrestler down the road.
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“You get a lot of the best of the best guys competing in the FPI, regardless of their background,” Nickal explained. “Whether they are a fighter, a jiu jitsu practitioner, a wrestler. I think the merger of all of those styles and disciplines and the high levels of competition makes it attractive to Penn State guys, specifically, because I know that the same as me, every single person that is on the team or in the crew wants to be the best in the world. Their expectations and goals for themselves are sky high and I just think it is a great opportunity and it makes a lot of sense.”
Nickal expanded further by saying he and Bravo-Young won’t be the last Nittany Lions to take on the FPI mats. Many current athletes in the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and on the Penn State roster appear to be aiming themselves toward the MMA cage upon graduating. Whether it’s Carter Starocci calling out Kamaru Usman on Cayden Henschel’s YouTube channel or David Taylor being spotted with Gordon Ryan at the UFC Performance Institute, we’re seeing more and more navy blue in and around the sport.
Nickal theorizes why he believes it’s no coincidence that he, Jimmy Lawson, Bravo-Young and many more have interest in fighting. To be a perfect wrestler means to be a perfect combat athlete.
“I think that the kind of correlation has to do with all of us being very interested in fighting and MMA and just kind of wanting to be a well-rounded martial artist per se,” Nickal said. “Just because, for us, the way we train and compete, I would definitely say that we are more open minded and creative than more wrestling styles with how other programs train and compete.”
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Bravo-Young has made it very clear that when he’s completely lost the spark in wrestling, fighting is up next. He’s never had subpar expectations of himself and Nickal explains that his FPI matchup against a top ten UFC flyweight proves that. He’s never going to ask for the easy route. As nice as an easy paycheck is, that’s never been the reason Bravo-Young has always been a step or two ahead of the competition.
It isn’t worth the trip if it isn’t adding weapons to his arsenal.
“More importantly than anything, it kind of aligns with our goals,” Nickal said. “Our goals are to be world champions in whatever sport we are in and a lot of people want to be world champions in MMA, and so getting into grappling and competing against high level grapplers is a great way to take another step towards that ultimate goal.”
Do not miss the submission grappling debut of Penn State legend Roman Bravo-Young at the FIGHT PASS Invitational 4, LIVE Thursday, June 29, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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