People were furious to see Bo Nickal high up the UFC 322 bout order.
The Octagon will soon be back inside the celebrated partitions of Madison Square Garden, because the UFC stages its annual November pay-per-view in Recent York City.
Two title fights will headline UFC 322, with Islam Makhachev difficult Jack Della Maddalena for two-division supremacy within the principal event and a superfight between Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili playing out just before.
But within the lead-up, much of the eye has been on probably the most notable names tasked with setting the stage for the headliners.
The choice to place Nickal on the principal card caused significant backlash and was quickly reversed. But one among the 2 fighters who’ve benefited from the change had no issue with the three-time NCAA Division I national champion’s original spot.
- LATEST NEWS: Jake Paul awarded a win by UFC legend who roasts Francis Ngannou for publicly rejecting the fight
Beneil Dariush is ‘grateful’ but admits he had no issue with UFC 322 prelim placement
Dana White and UFC were praised for listening by some fans, however it seems the fighters themselves are less bothered about once they make the walk.
That’s the case for Beneil Dariush, at the very least, whose fight with Benoit Saint-Denis will now open the UFC 322 principal card after being elevated from the prelims in consequence of Nickal’s demotion.
“I didn’t realize this was such a giant thing,” Dariush told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn regarding the change.
“So far as the UFC goes, putting me there, I’m obviously grateful and I (see) that they recognize me, in order that is great.
“(But) once they put him (Nickal) up there, I had no gripes about it. It’s not a giant deal for me,” he continued. “I do know some fighters get bothered by that, however it doesn’t change how much I receives a commission.
“The fans were bothered by it. So I’ve gotta just say thanks to the fans.”
- LATEST NEWS: Jack Della Maddalena told ‘rude awakening’ awaits at UFC 322 after daring warning to Islam Makhachev
Bo Nickal replaced as Daniel Cormier’s ‘best American prospect’ in MMA
The UFC 322 principal card shouldn’t be the one spot Nickal has fallen out from in recent times.
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier recently switched up his pick for America’s most promising prospect and title hopeful. Cormier snubbed Nickal for Jon Jones’ teammate, mixed martial arts newcomer Gable Steveson.
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling has won each his MMA and Dirty Boxing debuts via quick knockouts in 2025, and he seemingly has his eyes on the UFC.
“They asked me a few weeks ago who still is the best potential to be a UFC champion, American-born…I still said Bo Nickal,” Cormier said on his Good Guy/Bad Guy YouTube show.
“I’ve modified now. It’s Gable Steveson. There are not any wrestlers at heavyweight. Jon Jones is the wrestler, and take a look at the best way Jon Jones made a fight with Ciryl Gane look because he had wrestling.
“Gable can do all those things,” he continued. “This dude, I imagine today, he’s the perfect American prospect to potentially grow to be a UFC champion.”