Bo Nickal Went the Distance Against Paul Craig at UFC 309
Bo Nickal defeated Paul Craig by unanimous decision at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024. All three judges scored the Madison Square Garden middleweight contest 30–27, extending Nickal’s unbeaten professional record through seven appearances.
A decision added a different result
The Craig fight lasted all three rounds, giving Nickal a distance victory after the finishes that had characterized his earlier UFC appearances. The judges agreed on both the winner and the margin.
Craig brought considerable experience to the assignment, while Nickal continued developing his professional MMA campaign. The result completed another step inside the promotion without establishing a championship booking.
Three UFC finishes preceded the contest
Nickal’s promotional debut came against Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. He won by arm-triangle choke at 2:54 of the first round.
He then stopped Val Woodburn with strikes after thirty-eight seconds at UFC 290. At UFC 300 in April 2024, he submitted Cody Brundage with a rear-naked choke in the second round before facing Craig later that year.
De Ridder ended the unbeaten run
Nickal’s next appearance came against Reinier de Ridder on May 3, 2025. De Ridder won by technical knockout at 1:53 of the second round, handing Nickal his first professional defeat.
That later setback followed the successful Craig decision rather than changing its result. Together, the appearances show the progression from early UFC finishes to a full three-round victory and then a more difficult assignment against the former ONE champion.
Sources
- UFC: Craig unanimous decision and New York event
- UFC: Pickett, Woodburn, Brundage and de Ridder results
- UFC: de Ridder’s previous two-division championship background
