Bo Nickal draws Paul Craig at UFC 309 in New York

Bo Nickal will face the sternest test of his career at UFC 309.

Nickal takes on gritty grappler Paul Craig in a middleweight bout Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York, UFC CEO Dana White announced during the UFC 306 broadcast. The fight was first reported by Benny P on “X.”

28-year-old standout wrestler Nickal (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has finished his first three octagon opponents, most recently submitting Cody Brundage at UFC 300 in April. He saw a second round for the first time against Brundage.

Craig (17-8-1 MMA, 9-8-1 UFC), who holds notable finishes of former champion Jamahal Hill and top contender Magomed Ankalaev at light heavyweight, sought new life by dropping down to 185 pounds. After finishing Andre Muniz in his divisional debut, he was stopped in back-to-back fights by Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho.

With the addition, the UFC 309 fight card includes:

• Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
• Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira
• Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
• Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva
• Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura
• Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
• Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Mickey Gall
• Paul Craig vs. Bo Nickal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.