'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
No! recently signed UFC middleweight Bo Nickal did not go to the Olympics. However, Nickal was one of the trialists competing for a spot on the US wrestling team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
According to a report by The Daily Morning News, after winning three matches in the qualifying rounds, Nickal finally suffered back-to-back losses to David Taylor in the final round.
In the best of three championship series matches between the two wrestlers, the recently signed UFC athlete initially suffered a 4-0 loss in the first round and in the second round incurred a similar 6-0, thus ending the 26-year-old's Olympic dreams.
Nickal can at least rest easy knowing that he lost to the best. David Taylor clinched the freestyle wrestling gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, edging past reigning champion Hassan Yazdani with a score of 4-3.
Since his failed Olympic trials, the 26-year-old has found immense success in the realm of mixed martial arts. In just three fights in the professional ranks, Nickal has secured the highly coveted UFC contract.
The former collegiate wrestler fast-tracked his way to the world's biggest MMA promotion by impressing UFC president Dana White with two back-to-back first-round finishes in the recently concluded Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) Season 6.
Watch Bo Nickal's final fight at the DWCS below:
Despite shifting his sights from wrestling in the past year, Nickal is still one of America's most accomplished collegiate wrestlers.
How many National Championships did Bo Nickal Win?
Highly accomplished wrestler Bo Nickal has one national championship to his name. He accomplished this feat at the 2019 US National Championships held in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old won gold in the 92kg (202.8 lbs) category at the event.
Apart from this, Nickal also has three NCAA Division 1 gold medals to this name. According to a report by SPORTSMANOR, the recently signed UFC middleweight holds three NCAA Division 1 gold medals from the 2017-19 season.
Watch Nickal's wrestling highlights below:
He holds two NCAA golds in the 187lbs category and one gold in the 197lbs division.
In the Big Ten Championships, Nickal has clinched a total of three gold medals in three separate weight divisions. The former collegiate wrestler also clinched the gold medal at the 2019 under-23 World [Wrestling] Championship in Budapest.
Watch Nickal's interview after winning the U23 World Championship below:
