Bo Nickal Offered Ryan Garcia Wrestling Help in July 2024
Bo Nickal offered to help Ryan Garcia with wrestling in a social media post on July 8, 2024. The exchange came as Garcia publicly explored an interest in mixed martial arts.
The training exchange
Nickal responded to Garcia on X with a brief offer of support: “I gotchu bro.” The SportsRush reported the exchange the following day, alongside Garcia’s recent wrestling practice with his brother.
A three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, Nickal brought a substantial wrestling background to his own move into professional MMA.
Nickal’s UFC position at the time
Nickal was unbeaten through six professional MMA bouts in July 2024. His most recent victory had come against Cody Brundage at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on April 13.
He submitted Brundage with a rear-naked choke at three minutes and thirty-eight seconds of the second round. That result supplied the competitive backdrop to his summer offer to help Garcia train.
Nickal’s collegiate résumé included a 120–3 record, fifty-nine pins and four NCAA final appearances for Penn State. He received the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded to the country’s outstanding college wrestler. That background explained why his offer attracted attention: Garcia was considering a sport in which takedowns and grappling would demand skills beyond those used in professional boxing.
Sources
- The SportsRush: Nickal’s July 8 offer to Garcia
- UFC: Nickal’s UFC 300 submission result
- Penn State Athletics: Nickal’s collegiate record and Hodge Trophy
