Bo Nickal: “Dricus Du Plessis is easy money”

Two middleweights made a big impression on the PPV portion of UFC 290, as newcomer Bo Nickal and title challenger Dricus Du Plessis both scored impressive TKO wins.

Nickal, a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion, wasted no time in his UFC debut, as he finished Val Woodburn, who stepped in on short notice, in just 38 seconds. Du Plessis, on the other hand, had a tougher test in front of him, as he faced former champion Robert Whittaker in a title eliminator.

The South African proved he was ready for the big stage, as he stopped “The Reaper” in the second round. With the victory, “Stillknocks” is likely to get a shot at Israel Adesanya’s belt next. Nickal, on the other hand, will probably face a tougher opponent as he climbs up the 185-pound division.

But even though they are at different stages of their careers, Nickal recently gave his thoughts on a potential matchup with Du Plessis. In a backstage interview with Full Send MMA, Nickal watched Du Plessis’ knockout of Whittaker on the UFC 290 main card.

After witnessing the finish, the wrestling phenom complimented his fellow middleweight on the performance. But he also hinted that he and Du Plessis will cross paths in the future, and downplayed the danger of “Stillknocks.

"Oh jeez, looks like Dricus is gonna finish him. That's crazy," Nickal said. "Hats off to him. I feel like I respect Whittaker a lot. He's such a tough dude. But, yeah, he (Du Plessis) got it done.

"That's a fight that I'll have eventually, I'm sure. I don't know that he beats the champion, but, you know, I'm sure we'll fight," Nickal continued. "And I think that's easy money for me."