While the feelings after a win or a loss soon disappear, UFC fighter Bo Nickal knows his faith in God will remain constant.
“…I learned that the feeling of winning and the feeling of losing are both going to fade. I knew I needed to change my way of thinking, or I’d never be at peace. And I made a decision to prioritize my faith, my family, my character, above successes and failures,” Nickal said in a video shared by Christhlete.
Now, he keeps his mind and his time centered on the things that truly matter.
“I believe that this new focus has given me real purpose while I’m on this path that God’s carved out for me, and the most important thing for me in my life is being a good husband to my wife and being a good dad to my two boys,” he continued.
“In addition to that, just continuing to refine and sharpen my character as a man of God, and I know my identity is in being loved by my family and friends, and ultimately being loved by a Creator who has created me in His image, just as every single person’s been created in His image in this room,” he emphasized.
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He reflected more on his identity in Christ during a June conversation with Sean Hannity.
“If you place your identity in Christ and believe that your value comes from being loved by God rather than from what you accomplish, then you can truly live life to the fullest,” Nickal said. “You can maximize the gifts you’ve been given and approach life from a place of gratitude rather than constantly asking, ‘What’s next?’”
Before Nickal made his way into the octagon, he was a wrestler for three-time NCAA Division I champion wrestler at Penn State University. He also won gold at the 2019 U23 World Championships in freestyle wrestling at 92 kg, according to ESPN.
After a fast track into MMA, Nickal has a 9-1 record with four wins by submission and four by knockout. In August, he was ranked No. 13 in the UFC middleweight rankings but looks to improve that in the months ahead. His last fight was a win over Kyle Daukaus at the White House Freedom 250 event.
Whatever happens next in the octagon, Nickal has made it clear that his true victory was already won when Jesus died on the cross.
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