Rising UFC middleweight star Bo Nickal scored a brutal first-round knockout win over Kyle Daukaus at UFC Freedom 250.

Nickal scored a knockdown late in the first round and then finished Daukaus with ground and pound to pick up his second straight knockout win inside the Octagon after he finished Rodolfo Vieira with a head kick in his last bout.

Bo Nickal Brutally Knocks Out Kyle Daukaus

Early in Round 1, Nickal immediately slammed Daukaus to the ground and then started landing heavy strikes from the top position. Nickal landed several elbows that cut Daukaus open, but soon after, referee Jason Herzog stood the fighters up.

But very quickly, Nickal landed a front kick that clipped Daukaus, and then he landed a punch that knocked Daukaus to the mat. Nickal then finished the fight with ground and pound for a first-round TKO victory.

With the win, Nickal improved to 6-1 in the UFC with five stoppage wins. This was one of the biggest wins of his career, as Daukaus came into this fight on a nice win streak, so it’s a big win for Nickal that should likely earn him a ranked opponent next.

What’s Next for Bo Nickal?

Nickal was not ranked heading into this bout, but he will surely get consideration for a top-15 spot after this crazy knockout win.

For his next fight, Nickal should absolutely be fighting someone in the top 15, as he’s earned a shot at fighting a ranked opponent.

Looking at the UFC rankings right now, some potential opponents in the top 15 who would make for interesting opponents include Gregory Rodrigues, Roman Dolidze, and Ikram Aliskerov. It’s possible that Nickal could even land someone in the top 10, but more likely, he will be fighting someone in that 10 to 15 range for his next fight — and he deserves it.

As for Daukaus, this loss snaps a two-fight win streak for him during which he scored two finishes within one minute each. But there is no shame in losing to someone like Nickal, who is not only an elite wrestler but also someone who has improved their striking quite a bit, as well.