An interesting upcoming UFC fight will be opening up the historic UFC 300 main card, which has many fans upset. Bo Nickal is taking on Cody Brundage in the middleweight division to kick things off, being higher up on the card than a handful of former world champions and UFC living legends.
Nickal vs. Brundage Picks
- Pick: Nickal to win inside the distance +550.
Stay tuned to scores and odds throughout fight night to see if Nickal can live up to the immense hype surrounding his undefeated record and dominant wrestling background.
Will Nickal live up to the hype and prove himself on the biggest stage? Or is Brundage a tougher test than what sportsbooks have him as? Continue reading for an in-depth look at this matchup and for the Nickal vs Brundage betting picks to make.
Nickal vs. Brundage Information
Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage
Location of the game: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Date & Time: April 13, 2024. 10 PM ET main card start
Where to Watch: ESPN+ PPV
Last Fight Record
Nickal last fought in July 2023 where he got a first-round TKO victory over Val Woodburn at UFC 290.
Brundage is coming off a rare slam KO victory in the first round over Zachary Reese in December.
Nickal vs. Brundage Betting Analysis
Bo Nickal
Nickal is an American mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 5-0, including 2 TKO/KO wins and 3 submissions. He is one of the most accomplished collegiate wrestlers ever, having a total record of 120-3 with three national championships and three Big-10 championships under his belt. Before turning to the sport of MMA, Nickal lost in the finals of the 2020 US Olympic trials to David Taylor, who went on to win gold at those Olympics.
Nickal is listed as a 6’1” southpaw with a 76” reach at middleweight. He wrestled around middleweight in college (184lbs and 197lbs). In the short time he has in the octagon, Nickal averages 2.76 significant strikes landed per minute while only absorbing 0.55. He also hilariously averages 11.04 takedowns per 15 minutes and 13.8 submissions. Keep in mind that his average fight time is 1:22 in the octagon.
Cody Brundage
Brundage is an American MMA fighter with a 10-5 professional record, including 5 wins by TKO/KO and 3 by submission. The Cody Brundage betting analysis can’t be done without mentioning that he has a pretty successful wrestling background as well–including a 56-3 record as a high school senior and 96 wins in college. He earned titles in two weight divisions at the Lights Out Championship promotion before signing with the UFC; where he has earned two Performance of the Night bonuses.
Brundage is similar in size to Nickal, coming in at 6’0” with a 72” reach while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He averages 1.80 significant strikes landed and 2.51 absorbed per minute in the octagon. Brundage’s wrestling skills have come in handy in the UFC, averaging 2.69 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 52% clip, and a 73% takedown defense.
Updates
According to reports, both the UFC and ESPN are healthy and injury-free for this upcoming event.
Nickal vs. Brundage Betting Preview
To make the best Nickal vs. Brundage betting picks, we need to look closer at this matchup. Breaking down the odds and studying the styles of both fighters are the essentials to making successful UFC bets.
According to UFC odds, Nickal is going into UFC 300 fight week as the massive -2300 betting favorite, with some books having him as high as -3000. Brundage is the +1100 underdog, with tons of value. This bout is heavily favored to end inside the distance at -1000 as well.
Stylistically, this is the closest match that Nickal has had to the aggression and pressure style he adopted from competing at a high level in wrestling for his whole life. Brundage is not on the same level technically as Nickal, but he has a wrestling skill set that will give Nickal the biggest test yet in MMA.
You should expect Nickal to come out fast. He has shown a tendency to be a little too out of control in there, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and pace. He has overpowered his opponents who simply aren’t even close to his level athletically.
If Brundage can flip the switch right away and be the aggressor, this fight turns into a completely different one. Oddsmakers aren’t giving Brundage much of a chance and that doesn’t seem right.
Nickal vs. Brundage Betting Picks and Prediction
This looks like another Bo Nickal betting pick that’s easy to make. But with literally no value in a Nickal bet and the confusing massive underdog odds for Brundage, this is a very interesting fight to bet on this weekend on the UFC fight schedule.
We are predicting that Nickal will get his hand raised, but why would you bet on his money line? The official Nickal vs. Brundage betting picks to make are either taking Nickal to win inside the distance or taking this fight to go the distance at +550.
Brundage is tough and he is going to make it difficult for Nickal. A bet on Brundage isn’t even a bad play since the odds are so wild.
- Pick: Nickal to win inside the distance +550.
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