Nickal the Heavy Favorite Heading into UFC 300

Kicking things off for the pay-per-view section of UFC 300 is Cody Brundage versus Bo

Nickal in a middleweight bout. Nickal enters the octagon as the heavy favourite even

though he gives up quite a bit in terms of experience to Brundage.

For Nickal, despite being relatively new to the MMA game, many experts are raising

their expectations for the 28-year-old saying it will be a matter of when and not if he

becomes a UFC middleweight champion. The company sees the former amateur

wrestler as someone they can push to the masses, hence the opportunity to fight on the

pay-per-view portion of such a stacked card.

Bo Nickal (-2300)

The three-time NCAA champion out Penn State made his MMA debut in June 2022

where he knocked out his opponent in just 33 seconds. Bo Nickal was selected to

compete on a Dana White Contender Series card in both August and September of

2022 where he picked up wins in less than 63 seconds each time.

He is excellent on the mat and has earned two more wins under the UFC banner since

then, making him 5-0. Each of his fights have ended in the first round thanks to his

excellent abilities on the mat but his striking has gotten pundits talking as he’s

developed that area of his game quite quickly. His first MMA fight and his most recent

contest have finished via KO and TKO thanks to his striking ability. Will UFC 300 be a

platform for Nickal to stake his claim or will he be exposed as a fighter who needs a bit

more time?

Cody Brundage (+1100)

With a 10-5-0 MMA record, Cody Brundage is an even 4-4 under the UFC banner. He’s

riding a two-fight win streak which includes a first-round knockout win over Zachary

Reese at the beginning of December. The key for Brundage will be to stay on his feet.

Yes, Nickal has developed his striking ability over a short period of time but it’s better for

the veteran to roll the dice on his feet than trying to double-leg a NCAA champion who

racked up 103 consecutive victories for the Nittany Lions. Unfortunately for Brundage,

it’s kind of a lose-lose situation for the 29-year-old. If he wins, cynics will say that he

beat an inexperienced fighter, but should he lose, well then he’s dropping a

pay-per-view contest to a newbie.

For the latest UFC 300 odds, visit BetOnline.