UFC 322: Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira Preview & Prediction
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Bo Nickal meets Rodolfo Vieira in high-stakes featured prelim at UFC 322.
Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira facts
What time are Bo Nickal and Rodolfo Vieira expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev? Madison Square Garden, New York, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 322
What TV channel is UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev main card
Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev (Welterweight)
Valentina Shevchenko vs Zhang Weili (Women’s Flyweight)
Sean Brady vs Michael Morales (Welterweight)
Leon Edwards vs Carlos Prates (Welterweight)
Beneil Dariush vs Benoit Saint Denis (Lightweight)
UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev prelims
Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira (Middleweight)
Roman Kopylov vs Gregory Rodrigues (Middleweight)
Erin Blanchfield vs Tracy Cortez (Women’s Flyweight)
Malcolm Wellmaker vs Ethyn Ewing (Featherweight)
Kyle Daukaus vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
Pat Sabatini vs Chepe Mariscal (Featherweight)
Angela Hill vs Fatima Kline (Women’s Strawweight)
Baisangur Susurkaev vs Eric McConico (Middleweight)
Viacheslav Borshchev vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Bo Nickal: Elite wrestling standout looking to rebound and prove he belongs
Bo Nickal (7-1) enters the featured prelim carrying both hype and pressure as he attempts to bounce back from the first loss of his MMA career. Once considered one of the most talked-about prospects in UFC history, Nickal stormed into the promotion with three consecutive first-round finishes over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage. With 56% of his wins coming by submission and all but two victories secured inside the first round, Nickal has built a reputation as a fast starter who overwhelms opponents with chain wrestling and immediate pressure. His win over Armen Petrosyan showed flashes of his ability to dominate positionally at a higher level, but his most recent outing exposed lingering questions about his durability and striking comfort.
Despite his world-class wrestling credentials, Nickal remains raw in certain MMA skill areas. His striking—while improving—still lacks fluidity, and his defensive reactions on the feet remain a concern. He has struggled when forced to stand for extended periods, and the narrative around his inability to comfortably take a clean shot has followed him since the Contender Series. Still, Nickal’s takedown entries and top-pressure remain elite tools, and his strong submission instincts from wrestling-dominant positions give him a safe, methodical route to controlling many opponents. Against someone with world-class jiu-jitsu, this fight becomes a huge measuring stick for how well Nickal can impose his grappling without falling into danger.
Rodolfo Vieira: World-class submission artist seeking a signature career breakthrough
Rodolfo “The Black Belt Hunter” Vieira (11-3) steps into UFC 322 as one of the most decorated grapplers ever to transition to MMA. With 82% of his professional wins coming by submission and victories over names such as Cody Brundage, Armen Petrosyan, and Saparbeg Safarov, Vieira’s ground game remains among the most dangerous in the division. He also owns an impressive submission win over perennial contender Derek Brunson in ADCC-style competition, reaffirming his elite finishing ability in pure grappling environments. However, Vieira’s career has been defined by contradictions: phenomenal jiu-jitsu technique paired with inconsistent wrestling, questionable cardio, and vulnerability when forced into prolonged stand-up exchanges.
Vieira’s biggest challenge has always been getting the fight to the ground on his terms. Despite being a submission savant, his wrestling entries are often telegraphed, and he can be taken down just as easily as he takes others down — a major concern in a matchup against an Olympic-caliber wrestler like Nickal. His striking has improved in recent years, and the win over Tresean Gore demonstrated greater composure on the feet, but Vieira still lacks the fluidity and defensive reads to consistently outstrike elite athletes. Stylistically, he remains a threat in every scramble, yet his tendency to slow down after grappling-heavy exchanges makes him hit-or-miss depending on how the early rounds unfold.
Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira prediction
This is one of the toughest fights on the card to call — a genuine 50-50 matchup between a world-class wrestler and a world-class submission artist. Vieira’s jiu-jitsu is far superior, but his wrestling entries and takedown defense have never been his strong suits. Nickal isn’t likely to accept extended grappling risks inside Vieira’s guard, but his top control, positional discipline, and relentless chain wrestling give him a path to safely neutralize submission threats. If the fight stays standing, it becomes a more chaotic and unpredictable version of Nickal’s bout with Paul Craig, where his discomfort on the feet could show, but Vieira isn’t a consistently effective striker.
Ultimately, Nickal’s wrestling advantage may be the deciding factor. Vieira has been taken down before, and despite his submission pedigree, his pure defensive wrestling has never matched his grappling reputation. Nickal should be able to force top positions, avoid dangerous scrambles, and accumulate enough control time to sway the rounds. It won’t be pretty, and it won’t be dominant, but Nickal’s safer, more disciplined grappling should edge out the fight.
Prediction: Bo Nicka to win by decision
