Bo Nickal has revealed that he warned Gable Steveson about weaknesses in his striking defence just weeks before the Olympic gold medallist suffered a 12-second knockout defeat to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331.

Steveson, who entered the UFC as a highly regarded heavyweight prospect following his successful wrestling career, suffered a major setback in September. Nickal, himself a decorated collegiate wrestler, has now detailed a heated exchange between the pair before the event.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, as noted by Bloody Elbow, Nickal recalled confronting Steveson when they appeared on the same Real American Freestyle (RAF) card in August, following previous disagreements over how a potential wrestling match between them would unfold. “I’m like, ‘What are you even talking about, man? This is insane.’ I remember this so vividly,” Nickal said. “He’s like, ‘I’ll knock you out’.”

Nickal said he responded by telling Steveson that while he was unsure whether he could defeat him in a wrestling match, he believed he would “destroy” him in an MMA fight. The UFC middleweight, who holds a 6-1 professional record, also claimed to have highlighted defensive deficiencies that Steveson would need time to address.

Despite their disagreement, Nickal said he hopes Steveson can recover from his first major UFC setback and fulfil his potential in mixed martial arts. “Big setbacks can lead to big comebacks so I hope that he can figure his stuff out,” Nickal said. “Again, it’s weird, all the stuff between us. But, I still want to root for him and want him to do well.”

Nickal has experienced a significant defeat of his own, having suffered his first professional loss against Reinier de Ridder in 2025 before returning to winning ways. He also questioned whether members of Steveson’s team had encouraged the heavyweight to make public comments about him, despite the previously cordial relationship between the two American wrestlers.