Bo Nickal kept things short with his reaction following a second round TKO loss that reiniered De Ridder.
The UFC Middleweight Fight took place inside the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Nikkal joined the fight unbeaten, but De Ridar’s pressure won the night. The former two-division championship title holder won the finish after landing a series of strikes that closed off on his knees to his body that caused Nikkal to crash into the mat.
Nikkal was a favorite to take part in the match, but there were experts and fans who found De Ridar’s experience too early for him. Nickal’s victory would have given him a spot in the top 15 UFC middleweight rankings, but De Ridder hopes he is in a position to face the top 5 fighters now.
Related: Reinier de Ridder seeks a showdown against Shaun Strickland after UFC Des Moines
Bo Nickal’s postwar thoughts
Following the loss of UFC des Moines, Bo Nickal had no long messages, but he vowed to push through (posting on Instagram).
“Thanks for the highs and lows. I’ll be back.”
Some fans believe this will be a positive learning experience for Nickal. While there was a lot of buzz for once prospects who escaped, he was criticized for his UFC 309 performance against Paul Craig. It was just Nikkar’s seventh pro MMA fight, but he also got the hype.
On the other hand, De Ridder may have placed himself for a big fight. He called for former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Following UFC des Moines, De Ridder told reporters he wanted a fight and joked that he was ready for UFC 315 on Saturday.
Follow-wing Saturday event De Ridder is currently winning four straight games. His consecutive losses to Anatoly Malikin in 2022 and 2024 were his only loss. It is still unclear whether UFC officials are giving him the fight he is looking for.
