Athletes
Bo Nickal | Continuously Improving
Middleweight Bo Nickal Looks To Stay Undefeated As He Takes On His Biggest Test Yet In Reinier De Ridder At UFC Des Moines On May 3
When Bo Nickal stepped onto the MMA scene, many assumed he would dominate and be fighting for a place in the rankings in no time.
In less than two years, Nickal remains undefeated,with four UFC wins and three finishes. By all accounts, that’s living up to the hype.
Nickal has utilized his All-American-level wrestling to his advantage early and often, as showcased by his staggering 3.61 takedown average per 15 minutes, and he has shown improved striking along the way, as well.
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As he approaches a fight with Reinier de Ridder this Saturday, Nickal refers back to his most recent win over Paul Craig in breaking down his opponent in Des Moines, Iowa.
“I think my last fight was massive for my experience and performance, overall; anytime I can get extra cage time is perfect for me since my career is new,” Nickal said. “It gave me a lot of feedback on what to focus on and improve. I am looking to show all the improvements this weekend.
There were those who believed that even though Nickal beat Craig, there was not enough from Nickal to write home about. But it is true that the bout was just his fourth in the Octagon. De Ridder, a decorated submission artist, is no stroll in the park, and Nickal finds himself, for the first time in his career, staring at a ranked opponent across the Octagon this weekend.
“I think that with this next fight he’ll probably have more urgency to take it to the ground. I think he feels like he has an advantage there, but, for me, I feel ready wherever the fight’s at,” Nickal tells UFC.COM. “I am just looking to continue to compete for the entirety of the fight and,wherever it goes, I’ll feel comfortable and confident.”
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If it were noted for fighters with less than five bouts, Nickal would be top six in middleweight history with the shortest fight time. This man finishes fights and can mix his different styles into one blended game plan that would baffle anyone in the Octagon.
A very telling issue often seen with younger fighters is the overreliance on their skills withoutaccounting for their opponents. This is where Nickal starts to branch away from the pack. De Ridder will be the most difficult fight to date for Nickal, but like a veteran, Nickal has a solid approach for this weekend.
“I have a good gameplan I have gone over with my coaches, and I feel like it leaves me room for creativity,” Nickal states, “I am going to be able to be dangerous and a big challenge for him, wherever the fight takes place.”
Since both fighters are grappling specialists, they may look to keep things on the feet. De Ridder is a great BJJ-style fighter, with all but two of his wins via submission. Nickal also has two of his three finishes coming by way of submission, so it would be very interesting to see both fighters take a hands-off approach when it comes to grappling.
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Nickal may have the wrestling advantage, but de Ridder holds the BJJ advantage. Nickal understands this, and this is where the game plan comes in. On the feet, it will be very interesting to see both fighters adjust to a part of their game where there is room for improvement.
“With my last fight we saw a lot of striking, which I am getting more and more confident with every day.”
Nickal understands and values the experience in the Octagon and attributes his growing confidence to these tests. These types of fights are always the biggest tests when it is a clash of styles and the only thing that separates fighters is their training and preparation,
“I love fighting, I love training, I think I come to every training session with a lot of gratitude and appreciation for my skills and abilities and people around me,” Nickal shares with UFC.COM, “For me, it’s easy to continue to get better because I love what I do.”
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On the biggest stages, Nickal has performed, and there is little reason to doubt him going into this bout. With an always-growing training mindset and an appetite for greatness, Nickal could amplify into a big threat in this middleweight division with a win this weekend.
“I think that I am a massive problem in the division; I think that anybody that is going to face me is going to have real issues with what I bring to the table.”
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo took place live from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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