Overview
- Nickal improved to 8-1 with a third-round head-kick knockout in the featured prelim at Madison Square Garden and reportedly earned a $50,000 performance bonus.
- Vieira posted from a hospital after the bout and shared a video implying his wife was also treated, later joking that Nickal “sent two to the hospital with one kick.”
- Jorge Masvidal said Nickal’s kicking game has been a focused project at American Top Team, while Daniel Cormier called the performance a sign of world-title potential.
- Matchmaking talk ramped up as Masvidal floated Jared Cannonier and Joe Pyfer, Empire Sports Media proposed Christian Leroy Duncan, and Baisangur Susurkaev issued a post-fight callout.
- The win is widely viewed as a rebound from May’s loss to Reinier de Ridder after the UFC shifted Nickal to the featured prelims, with rankings movement and opponent selection still to be determined.