Bo Nickal vs. Joe Pyfer Booked for UFC 335: The Hype Train Collision We Actually Wanted

The UFC is finally taking the training wheels off the Bo Nickal hype train, and they are replacing them with a guy who punches like a heavyweight.

According to MMA reporter Adam Martin, Joe Pyfer and Bo Nickal are officially booked to collide at UFC 335.

"Joe Pyfer vs. Bo Nickal announced for #UFC335! - Adam Martin"

For the last couple of years, Nickal’s UFC run has felt like a very violent internship. The elite wrestling standout has been a massive betting favorite in every walk to the octagon, mostly fighting guys whose primary game plan was just trying to survive until the second round.

Pyfer is not showing up just to survive. The man who literally became a standard on Dana White's Contender Series—where the boss famously screamed at prospects to "Be Joe Pyfer"—has the kind of heavy hands that can turn a wrestling pedigree into a sudden nap.

This is the exact kind of matchmaking the sport needs. Instead of keeping two rising middleweight prospects separated until they are both in their thirties, the UFC is throwing them into a blender to see who survives. It is a classic striker-versus-grappler setup, but with the added stakes of two massive egos and two colliding hype trains.

The opening odds on this are going to be fascinating. Nickal is used to being priced like a prime champion fighting a local bartender, but Pyfer’s legitimate knockout threat makes this the first time bettors actually have to think twice before blindly backing the wrestler.

Whoever walks out of UFC 335 with their hand raised is instantly jumping into the deep end of the middleweight rankings. The loser gets a harsh reality check and a long climb back up the ladder.