UFC 285: Bo Nickel lives up to the hype, submitting Jamie Pickett in UFC debut (Video)

UFC 285:  Bo Nickel defeated Jamie Pickett.

Bo Nickel defeated Jamie Pickett via submission (arm triangle choke), Round 1 – 2:54 at UFC 285 on Saturday, March 4, 2023, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

“Man, I feel at home. I’ve been training my whole life for this. I train every day for this…  I’m 4-0, I’m 27, I’m young I’ve been doing MMA for a year and a half and I’m on the main card of a UFC pay-per-view. That’s insane. I’m just going to keep getting better, keep dominating and you bet your ass, I’m going to get that belt,” said Nickel.

Nickel missed a wild kick attempt to start the fight. The action moved to the fence as the fighters moved into a clinch. Nickel took Pickett to the ground with a throw and easily took his back. Nickel went for a rear-naked choke but gave up on the choke and switched to a triangle choke. Pickett refused to tap as Nickel continued to apply pressure to the choke. Nickel moved on top of Pickett and finally forced Pickett to tap out.

Nickel entered UFC 285 as one of history’s most intriguing and exciting prospects. The former Penn State wrestler scored first-round finishes in his three professional fights. With his fourth straight first-round finish, Nickel will continue to be fast-tracked through the middleweight division.

Pickett entered Saturday’s fight in desperate need of an upset victory. Pickett entered Las Vegas on a two-fight losing streak and four losses in his six UFC fights. With his third straight loss, Pickett is in jeopardy of being released by the UFC.

UFC 285: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane took place on Saturday, March 4, 2023, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your live results and highlights throughout fight week.