For the first time in his UFC career, Bo Nickal will fight on the Prelims. He is facing Rodolfo Vieira in the featured prelim bout of UFC 322. Nickal is coming off the first loss of his career against Reinier de Ridder in May. Vieira has won three of his previous four contests in the UFC and most recently beat Tresean Gore in August.
Here is my prediction for Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 322
Bo Nickal to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+240)
Even though Bo Nickal is coming off a loss, he is still a supremely talented prospect. Nickal is a former three-time NCAA Division I and Big Ten Champion, known for his elite wrestling ability. In this fight, Nickal is one inch taller (6’1″ vs. 6’0″) while having a larger standing reach than Vieira (76″ vs. 73″).
Nickal is a -205 favorite with Vieira being a +170 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. This fight has an over/under of 2.5 rounds with the over being -154.
Even though Nickal excels on the ground, he is the more efficient striker (59% vs. 55%) in this contest, while also being better defensively on his feet. Nickal only absorbs 2.11 significant strikes per minute, which is two fewer than Vieira allows. On the ground, Nickal lands 3.34 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 53 percent rate, which he will need to use against Vieira to be successful.
Nickal entered the UFC with tremendous hype, but now seems hungrier and more motivated than ever, as he has faced a ton of doubt since his first loss. He won six of his first seven fights by finish, but hasn’t won a fight via KO/TKO or submission since April 2024. With Nickal coming off a loss, he will likely be more aggressive in this bout, which should lead to a finish. You can get Nickal to win by KO/TKO/DQ or submission at +240.
