Bo Nickal suffered his first defeat in a UFC Des Moines co-main event, losing by second-round TKO to the more experienced Reinier de Ridder, who outperformed him in all aspects of the fight.
Bo Nickal’s first loss was a shocker. Facing the seasoned Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines, Nickal seemed out of his depth. De Ridder, a former two-division ONE Champion, dominated every aspect of the fight, securing a second-round TKO victory.
Initially, Nickal, a three-time NCAA wrestling champ, grounded de Ridder. But de Ridder’s slick grappling skills soon reversed the situation. Despite Nickal’s power, de Ridder remained calm, taking calculated risks and outstriking Nickal in the standup.
The fight concluded with de Ridder landing a devastating knee to Nickal’s body. Referee Mike Beltran had no choice but to stop the fight. The MMA community reacted swiftly to Nickal’s halted hype train.
Sergio Pettis tweeted, “Bo still young in the game. Needed this humble pie.” Meanwhile, Henry Cejudo shared encouragement, drawing parallels to his own career setbacks.
Not all comments were supportive. Luke Rockhold bluntly tweeted, “Nickal sucks.” Corey Anderson pointed out the irony in Nickal’s pre-fight comments about striking superiority.
Derek Brunson found humor in the situation, tweeting simply, “Omg comedy!” Terrance McKinney celebrated de Ridder’s win, having predicted the KO.
Kevin Holland praised both fighters, calling de Ridder a “silverback gorilla” while acknowledging Nickal’s prowess. Billy Quarantillo remarked on de Ridder’s “nasty knees.”
The fight was a mix of skill, strategy, and surprises. It’s a reminder of the unpredictability in MMA, where anything can happen.