UFC Freedom 250 Tale of the Tape: Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus preview

When the concept of UFC Freedom 250 was first mentioned, one fighter who everyone expected to be on the card was middleweight Bo Nickal.

Not only is Nickal a longtime friend of United States President Donald Trump, but he’s also a rising star who the UFC brass believes can be the future middleweight champion. So, on the biggest stage of all time in MMA history, it made total sense to include Nickal on the card.

Most figured that Nickal would be matched up against someone like Colby Covington in a grudge match, but instead, the UFC matchmakers surprised everyone by giving him Kyle Daukaus.

It’s an unexpected matchup, but also a great one between two middleweights on the rise.

In his second go-around in the UFC after being cut in 2022, Daukaus is 2-0 with two first-round finishes. He has looked sensational in his return to the Octagon, and it has landed him an absolutely massive opportunity here against someone with the pedigree that Nickal has in what should be an especially intriguing middleweight matchup at the White House.

BO NICKAL
Nickname: N/A
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, Florida
Age: 29 | Height: Six-foot-one | Weight: 185 pounds
Arm reach: 76 inches | Leg reach: 42 inches
Stance: Southpaw
Background/style: Wrestling
Team/gym: American Top Team
MMA record: 8-1 | UFC record: 5-1
Average fight time: 6:03

Notable accomplishments/credentials: 3x NCAA Division I National Champion in collegiate wrestling; four UFC wins by finish; two UFC bonuses; Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt.

Biggest strength/best technique: It goes without saying that Nickal’s biggest strength is his wrestling, as he is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in mixed martial arts. But in the UFC so far, Nickal has often preferred to stand and bang, and he has shown big-time knockout power. So, he’s not just a grappler, but he’s a knockout artist, too.

That makes Nickal one of the most well-rounded middleweights in the UFC, and given that he is just 29 years old, he can make huge improvements from fight to fight.

Taking the fight to the ground and getting top control might be the smartest way to approach this fight. But given the way Nickal has fought in the UFC, and given that Daukaus is dangerous with submissions, Nickal could choose to use his wrestling in reverse and keep this fight on the feet.

Key to victory: While Nickal could use his wrestling skills to take Daukaus down and control him on the mat, which makes sense in theory, he’s likely going to try to keep this fight standing and attempt to land the KO blow on Daukaus.

Although Daukaus has turned into a dangerous striker, Nickal is likely the better boxer, and he has the better chin, too, as Daukaus has been dropped four times in his UFC career and knocked out twice.

With plenty of bonus money on the line, Nickal is likely going to look for the finish and try to show off the leaps he’s made in his striking training at American Top Team, arguably the best camp in the entire sport.

Signature win/moment: Nickal’s signature moment so far came in his last fight, when he brutally knocked out Rodolfo Vieira with a nasty head kick in the third round of their bout at UFC 322 in November.

It was a devastating knockout win for Nickal, and the first time he has ever won a fight with a kick in the UFC. Nickal was dominating that fight and on his way to a clear unanimous decision win, but he landed the knockout with just a few minutes left in the third round to put a bow on his masterpiece.

He’ll now look to show the world that he's improved his striking even more in the seven months since that fight took place when he fights Daukaus at UFC Freedom 250.

What a win would mean: Beating Daukaus would likely get Nickal a spot in the top-15 middleweight rankings. He was previously ranked in the top 15 after he beat Paul Craig in November of 2024, but after getting upset by Reinier de Ridder in his next bout in May of 2024 he dropped out of the rankings.

There has been some talk that if Nickal has another spectacular win he could put himself in the mix to fight for the UFC middleweight title, which is currently held by Sean Strickland. But it feels more likely that the UFC will continue to build up Nickal the right way, so if he beats Daukaus, look for him to sneak into the top 15 and then fight someone in that No. 10 to No. 15 spot in the rankings in his next outing.

He was also asked at Wednesday's media day about a potential future matchup with former champion Khamzat Chimaev if the UFC approached him about it and Nickal responded that "absolutely" it's a matchup he would accept.

KYLE DAUKAUS
Nickname: The D’Arce Knight
Fighting out of: Philadelphia
Age: 32 | Height: Six-foot-two| Weight: 185 pounds
Arm reach: 76 inches | Leg reach: 43 inches
Stance: Southpaw
Background/style: Freestyle
Team/gym: The Forge MMA
MMA record: 17-4, 1 NC | UFC record: 4-4, 1 NC
Average fight time: 7:55

Notable accomplishments/credentials: Former 2x Cage Fury FC middleweight champion; three UFC finishes; two UFC bonuses; Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Biggest strength/best technique: Daukaus’ best technique is his D’Arce choke. Affectionately known by fight fans as “The D’Arce Knight,” Daukaus has won eight fights in his career with the submission move, an absolutely incredible statistic when you think about it.

He’s simply one of the best in the sport at cinching up the D’Arce, and he’ll try his best to get Nickal to the ground in this fight and do the same to him. Given Nickal’s wrestling pedigree, it certainly won’t be easy for Daukaus to get this fight to the mat. But if he can drop Nickal with a huge punch, it would allow him to grab his neck and score the ninth D’Arce choke of his MMA career.

Key to victory: Daukaus needs to be very careful on his feet if he stands and trades with Nickal.

Although Daukaus is a dangerous striker in his own right, Nickal is likely the slicker boxer of the two, and he has the better chin. So if this fight stays standing, Daukaus will certainly have the chance to land a big shot himself, but he needs to be very careful not to get caught by Nickal.

If Daukaus can somehow get this fight to the ground and get on top of Nickal, he would be in great shape, especially since he has the better cardio of the two fighters.

It won’t be easy to take Nickal down to the ground, but if Daukaus finds a way to get this fight on the mat, he will be at a big advantage since he can grab Nickal’s neck and get another D’Arce choke.

Signature win/moment: Daukaus’ signature win came last summer when he fought Michel Pereira at Shanghai. This was his return to the UFC after three years away, after he was cut by the promotion in 2022. After racking up a win streak on the regional scene, the UFC brought him back on short notice to fight Pereira after Marco Tulio pulled out. Despite entering the bout as a big underdog, Daukaus knocked out Pereira in just 43 seconds to earn a bonus and prove to everyone that he truly deserved his second chance to fight in the UFC.

He then followed that up with another quick win over veteran Gerald Meerschaert, submitting him with his signature D’Arce choke at UFC 322, a victory that earned him this massive opportunity on a gigantic stage to take on Nickal.

What a win would mean: A win over Nickal on the White House lawn would be absolutely huge for Daukaus’ MMA career. Let’s face it, compared to most of the household names on this card, Daukaus is not exactly someone who you would consider a UFC superstar.

But he’s a phenomenal fighter, and one of the most-improved mixed martial artists in the UFC, someone who had to fight their way back to the world’s ultimate proving grounds after being cut four years ago and being left for dead.

If Daukaus goes out there and upsets Nickal, it could earn him a spot in the rankings at middleweight, and at the very least, it should get him a chance to fight someone with a number beside their name in his next outing.

This is a huge fight for Daukaus, and a win could change his entire life.