Bo Nickal pinned Josh Hokit during the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh, showcasing his dominance as the No. 1 seed. Hokit, a former two-sport athlete at Fresno State, faced Nickal while seeking to make an impact as the No. 16 seed.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 21: Bo Nickal of the Penn State Nittany Lions wrestles Josh Hokit of the Fresno State Bulldogs during session two of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 21, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 21: Bo Nickal of the Penn State Nittany Lions wrestles Josh Hokit of the Fresno State Bulldogs during session two of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 21, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | Getty Images
Long before he was cutting promos in the UFC and becoming one of the fastest rising stars in the heavyweight division, Josh Hokit was a two-sport athlete at Fresno State University where he compete in both wrestling and football.
While he eventually turned his full focus to football, which landed him in the NFL for a couple of seasons as a practice squad player, Hokit earned a spot in the NCAA Championships in wrestling at 197 pounds as the No. 16 seed back in 2019. That slot put him in the unenviable position to go up against Penn Stateās Bo Nickal, who was seeking his third straight national title during his senior year of college as the No. 1 overall seed.
As expected, Nickal dominated the match, scoring multiple takedowns on Hokit, who struggled to deal with the explosive athleticism on display from the future UFC middleweight. After nearly scoring a pin earlier in the match, Nickal was up 10-2 with time running out in the first period when he put Hokit in another difficult position.
Nickal grabbed a front headlock and eventually turned Hokit over and he landed on top, once again seeking to end the match before time expired.
In MMA terms, it looked like Nickal was almost in a mounted guillotine choke position but in wrestling he maintained control on the head as he pressed down on Hokit with the referee calling the match due to pinfall.
Nickal immediately tried to help Hokit up from the mat but he passed on that offer, eventually getting back to his feet on his own.
While Hokit lost the match in lopsided fashion, Nickal actually paid homage to him on Twitter after watching his former opponent score a victory over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 on Saturday night.
āJosh Hokit was the only guy I wrestled my senior year of college who actually tried to beat me and not just stall,ā Nickal said.
Nickal did capture his third NCAA title that year with three pins along the way before he fell short from making the 2020 U.S. Olympic wrestling team when he was defeated by fellow Penn State alum and future gold medalist David Taylor.
Nickal then turned his attention towards MMA where he remains one of the top prospects in the sport and heāll next share a card with Hokit as they both compete at the upcoming UFC White House card on June 14.
Q&A
What was the outcome of the match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit at the 2019 NCAA Championships?
Bo Nickal won the match by pinning Josh Hokit, demonstrating his dominance as the top seed in the tournament.
What were Josh Hokit's achievements in wrestling before facing Bo Nickal?
Before facing Bo Nickal, Josh Hokit was a two-sport athlete at Fresno State and earned a spot in the NCAA Championships as the No. 16 seed in wrestling.
How did Bo Nickal perform during the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships?
Bo Nickal had an impressive performance, aiming for his third consecutive national title and dominating his matches, including a significant win over Josh Hokit.
Related Articles
Sports
LIV Golf is still going, but its days seem numbered and probably always were
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
ESPN NewsĀ·Ā·1 min read
MLBĀ·Recap
Angels' Mike Trout hits another HR to join Aaron Judge in rare Yankee Stadium history
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Yahoo SportsĀ·Ā·1 min read
MLBĀ·Feature
Tigers projected to take a gamble on the upside of a 6'3" prep bat
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.