Dana White revealed in the post UFC 309 press conference on Saturday night that President-elect Trump was surprised at the size difference between Bo Nickal and Paul Craig.
Nickal defeated Craig via unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in a middleweight fight. Fans in the arena booed Nickal and chanted “overrated” at the former NCAA Division 1 national champion. He improved his professional MMA record to 7-0 and 6-0 since he joined White’s Contender Series in 2022.
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Bo Nickal, right, connects on a punch against Scotland’s Paul Craig during a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
White was asked about Nickal and relayed the president-elect’s thoughts.
“We’ve had these discussions with Bo,” White said, via Audacy. “You know, Bo needs work. Bo’s an up-and-coming guy. I know he has big aspirations and wants to move faster than he should. Tonight showed… He still dominated him, I mean he won the whole fight. But he’s got work to do.
“When you’re in a position like Bo is, there’s a lot of expectations. Did you see the size of Craig? That guy’s a f—ing monster. The president looked at me and said, ‘These guys are in the same weight class?’ Because he loves Bo Nickal, so. I said, ‘Yeah they are.’ It’s crazy.”
President-elect Trump watches as Bo Nickal, facing camera, fights Scotland’s Paul Craig at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Nickal, who weighed in at 185 pounds while Craig weighed in at 186 pounds, was seen speaking with Trump after he was awarded the victory.
It didn’t appear the crowd was too happy with how Nickal won the fight.
Bo Nickal, right, punches Scotland’s Paul Craig in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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“These guys wanna see blood,” he told Joe Rogan after the fight. “They expect me to knock everybody out in 25 seconds or choke them out in a minute and the reality is, these guys are all professional fighters that have been training over a decade. And I’ve been in this 2 1/2-3 years and I’m fired up about that performance.”
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