UFC 285 fight card: Bo Nickal, Shavkat Rakhmonov among top fighters to watch this weekend
This event offers arguably the promotion's strongest event from top-to-bottom so far this year

UFC 285 hosts not only a homecoming for Jon Jones, but a number of coming out parties for potential future stars. The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is loaded with talent beyond its two championship offerings on Saturday night.
It is understandable that eyes are fixed on the main event of UFC 285. Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion and arguably the best to ever do it, makes his long-awaited heavyweight debut after a three-year layoff. Jones has a dangerous task ahead of him in Ciryl Gane, all with the absence of Francis Ngannou hanging over the event.
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But while Jones vs. Gane is getting all the attention, there are standout fights scattered throughout the undercard that are worth your time.
Take a look below at three non-title fights, plus a number of honorable mentions, that are worth watching on Saturday's stellar card.
Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
Nickal is the hottest prospect in MMA. The 27-year-old was named the most outstanding collegiate wrestler in the U.S. when he received the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy. He boasts a trio of NCAA Division I national championships and just as many Big Ten Conference titles. Nickal thrilled in his 2022 debut year as a fighter, stopping all three of his opponents in a combined two minutes and 27 seconds. Nickal makes his UFC debut after earning a contract on "Dana White's Contender Series" against Jamie Pickett (13-8), Nickal's most experienced opponent by far. Pickett is certainly an inconsistent fighter but he has plenty of Octagon time and a tendency to avoid the judges for better or worse.
Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
The MMA world expects big things from Rakhmonov and a main card slot on a Jones undercard is the perfect platform to showcase him. Rakhmonov is a mauler, pure and simple. He has finished every fight of his professional career with a daunting eight-eight split of knockouts and submissions. The Kazakh fighter can take you down and choke you out or uncork a violent spinning hook kick. The quality of Rakhmonov's striking will be tested by Geoff Neal, a crushing kickboxer who looked like a world-beater against Vicente Luque. Neal has an argument for being the hardest hitter at 170 pounds and is the only man to ever knockout Luque. Rakhmonov will either meet lofty expectations or Neal will usurp his hype while building his own case for a world title shot. Do not miss this one.
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Jalin Turner
Completing the main card trifecta is Gamrot vs. Turner. Perhaps the most interesting wrinkle of Gamrot vs. Turner is the timeline for the fight. Turner was originally set to fight Dan Hooker. A broken hand suffered by Hooker opened the door for Gamrot, a higher-ranked lightweight, to step in. Turner deserves credit for taking such a drastically different opponent on short notice, swapping out the less-than-durable striker Hooker for Gamrot, arguably the division's best pure wrestler. Gamrot and Turner are both ranked in the UFC's lightweight top 10 and can set themselves up for a fight against one of the division's stars with an exciting showing on Saturday.
Honorable mentions: Derek Brunson vs. Dricus du Plessis, Cody Garbrant vs. Trevin Jones, Ian Garry vs. Song Kenan
















