UFC in search for new opponent for Bo Nickal for UFC 290

Update on Bo Nickal UFC 290 fight

Saturday’s UFC 290 pay-per-view main card has suffered a setback as Tresean Gore has withdrawn from his middleweight bout against the highly acclaimed Bo Nickal, citing injury as the reason.

Originally scheduled to kick off the main card inside T-Mobile Arena, there is still a possibility that Nickal, the three-time NCAA Division I National Champion from Pennsylvania State University, will remain on the lineup.

According to Ariel Helwani’s report, the UFC is actively searching for a new opponent to ensure Nickal’s presence in the highly anticipated International Fight Week event. Helwani stated, “Bo Nickal is in need of a new opponent for this weekend’s UFC 290 card, sources say. His opponent Tresean Gore is out due to injury. UFC is working on keeping Nickal on the card, I’m told. Hoping to finalize a new bout today.”

If the UFC is successful in securing a replacement fighter for Nickal, it will mark his second appearance in the promotion. The Colorado native, known for his exceptional wrestling skills, earned a contract with the UFC last year after two impressive first-round submission victories on Dana White’s Contender Series. In his debut at UFC 285 in March, Nickal continued his winning streak by submitting Jamie Pickett in the first round.

Bo Nickal is need of a new opponent for this weekend’s UFC 290 card, sources say.

His opponent Tresean Gore is out due to injury.

UFC is working on keeping Nickal on the card, I’m told. Hoping to finalize a new bout today.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 4, 2023

While Nickal’s first UFC fight was marred by controversy due to a missed low blow, he was undoubtedly hoping for a clean victory in his second outing on Saturday. However, with Gore’s withdrawal, it remains uncertain whether Nickal will have the opportunity to achieve that goal.

As for the UFC 290 card, this isn’t the only last-minute change. Another welterweight bout between Jack Della Maddalena and Sean Brady was cancelled due to Brady’s withdrawal resulting from a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus B.

Initially, Kevin Holland, a veteran welterweight, offered to step in and fight Maddalena. However, the UFC has since announced that newcomer Josiah Harrell will be taking on the Australian contender, which poses a challenging debut for Harrell.

In the main event, UFC 290 will be headlined by a featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez, while the co-main event will feature Brandon Moreno defending his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja.

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