To be fair, it was Nickal’s first time experiencing the second round, but feeling some resistance will likely be beneficial for his development.

“Now I look back on it with great gratitude and appreciation. I think that while I may not have been trying my best, that could have been what I needed to get some extra motivation and I was still able to cross the finish line and walk out with the win, relatively unscathed. Feeling a little more resistance in my last fight was a good thing for me and it showed me a lot of different areas where I could make improvements.”

Since joining the UFC, Nickal has often made headlines with his statements, and generally hasn’t been afraid to voice his opinions on the fight game. However, becoming a father and focusing on his Christian faith seems to have brought more maturity and growth lately.

“A big growth point for me is understanding that my value doesn’t come from winning and losing,” Nickal said. “Winning or losing wrestling matches or winning or losing fights, it’s intrinsic. God created me in his image just like everyone else every other human being on this earth and so yeah just taking advantage of that more instead of feeling like I’m valued based on my performance so I guess that gives me the freedom to just get out there and compete as best I can and I don’t feel that extra pressure. I actually just do it because I like it and because I think he has given me a gift.

As he looks ahead, the competition for Nickal continues to increase. He’s clearly world-class wrestling, but he’s aware of the wrestling challenge ahead of him on Saturday.