Penn State wrestling icon Bo Nickal praised by ex-President Donald Trump

A former Penn State wrestling star earned a presidential shoutout this week. Speaking on the Impaulsive podcast with Logan Paul on Thursday, former President Donald Trump praised the skills of ex-Nittany Lions wrestler and current UFC fighter Bo Nickal.

“There’s somebody named Bo Nickal, who I think is going to be great,” Trump said. “He’s a fighter. He was an All-American, I think [for] probably four years. I’m not even sure, really. He went to Penn State. And he’s phenomenal as a fighter.

“But he doesn’t mind if he gets hit. If he gets hit, he doesn’t mind it. Some people don’t want that.”

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Nickal wrote in response to the ex-commander-in-chief on X.

Thank you Mr President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/Am5I5zQosU

— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) June 14, 2024

Bo Nickal and Donald Trump have a pre-existing relationship. Nickal visited the White House in 2019 as part of the National Champion Penn State wrestling team. Trump is known to frequent UFC fights, and Nickal has played golf with the former president.

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A post shared by Bo Nickal (@nobickal1)

Bo Nickal was a four-time All-American, going 90-3 during his Penn State wrestling career. He won three Big Ten Championships and three National Championships, and had a National Runner-Up finish while in Happy Valley between 2014 and 2018.

Will other ex-Penn State wrestling stars follow Nickal into combat sports?

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Nickal has charted his own course by launching a successful UFC career. But it’s a model that other ex-Penn State wrestlers may soon emulate.

Nickal’s former Nittany Lion teammate, three-time NCAA Champion Jason Nolf, may already be making a similar transition. On Sunday, Nolf made his professional grappling debut, defeating Andrew Simmons by submission at the Paradigm Open 3.

Nickal also moved to combat sports through grappling, making his professional debut in 2019 before his first amateur MMA bout in 2021. He then worked through Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a UFC contract. Nickal is currently 5-0 in the UFC.

With the plethora of talent that Cael Sanderson has amassed at Penn State and the NLWC, and the limited top spots available at the international freestyle level, Nickal just may be carving a path for future Nittany Lions to follow.

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