Bo Nickal’s victory over Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 has been appealed by Pickett’s team, who believe that Nickal’s knee to the midsection before the takedown that led to the finish was an illegal strike to the groin. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) could overturn the result to a no contest if the appeal is successful, with the basis for the appeal revolving around a possible misinterpretation of a provision of the NAC 467.770.
Nickal strongly denies the strike was a foul, and was surprised at the appeal proclamation. He claims that he struck Pickett in the leg, in the thigh, and that the fighter’s team is merely trying to find a way to overturn the result.
MMA result appeals are accepted by many regulatory bodies, but overturns are seldom seen. The NAC has the ability to review video replay to determine whether or not a foul occurred, but it was not utilized during or immediately after Saturday’s bout.
In order for the appeal to be successful, the NAC must determine that there was an error in interpreting a provision of the chapter, or that the referee rendered an incorrect decision. It will be up to the NAC to decide if Nickal’s victory stands or if it will be overturned to a no contest.
