LAS VEGAS – Bo Nickal doesn’t see any flaws in the betting odds going into his UFC 290 showdown with short-notice promotional newcomer Val Woodburn.
After Tresean Gore withdrew from Saturday’s event on fight week due to injury, Nickal (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) received a replacement opponent in Woodburn (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who he now meets in a middleweight bout at T-Mobile Arena. The fight opens the pay-per-view main card, which follows prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
Although Woodburn is undefeated as well, oddsmakers aren’t giving him a chance. Nickal opened as a -2500 favorite, which represents the most significant line in the history of the UFC.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Nickal told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 290 media day. “It makes sense to me. The math checks out … Great value. Hammer it.”
Nickal admits there were no certainties he was going to fight at UFC 290 after Gore pulled out. He is methodical in his preparation, and switching up opponents on five days’ notice is not exactly ideal.
Ultimately, Nickal could not pass on the opportunity to compete on such a big stage. UFC 290 is the centerpiece of the 11th annual International Fight Week festivities, and getting a win on this stage will be meaningful.
“There were concerns just because for me, initially, I’m not the type of guy to do last-minute switch-ups and stuff,” Nickal said. “I’m very calculated, planned and I felt like a little unsure of what to do. But the more we thought about it, the more I talked to my team – I’m just very fortunate to have a great team. They led me in the right direction. I trust those people. At the end of the day, I made the decision of what we’re going to do, but I think I’m always trying to build my reputation. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting. I’m just trying to go out there doing my best.”
With his decision to fight, Nickal knows comes some pressure. Given the betting odds, anything short of a quick, one-sided victory could prove to be a magnet for criticism. Nickal said he’s not sweating that element of the situation, just so long as he meets his own standards.
“There’s just going to be that expectation that’s set,” Nickal said. “I’m 4-0 with four first-round finishes and people want to see me fail. A lot of people want to see me win and just a lot of expectations. For me, I’m just going out there to perform to the best of my ability. Whether that’s a first-round finish or that’s a decision, that’s not really of concern. I’m just going out there to do my best and everything else will take care of itself.”
Nickal said UFC 290 is just part of his grander plan to rise to the top of the UFC. One year ago he wasn’t even signed to the UFC, and now he’s fighting on arguably the biggest card of the year so far. And he plans to keep the ball rolling.
“International Fight Week next summer, I plan on, at minimum, fighting ranked opponents,” Nickal said. “Getting right up in there in title contention. Hopefully, I can continue to get fights. The most important part about that is getting fights, getting opponents, getting the right opponents. But I think at that point I will be closing in on my goals of being UFC champ.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
