Bo Nickal hasn`t tasted defeat very often in his athletic career, but he always seems to come back better. This was the clear message the three-time NCAA champion wrestler conveyed after speaking out following a disappointing outcome in his co-main event bout against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. The much-hyped prospect suffered a second-round knockout loss after de Ridder connected with a brutal knee strike to the body, which effectively ended the contest.
While it was certainly not the result he envisioned, Nickal was quick to vow that he would bounce back stronger when his next fight comes around. Writing on Instagram, Nickal stated: “Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back.”
Immediately after the fight concluded on Saturday, American Top Team – the training facility Nickal calls home – also issued a brief statement via social media, expressing a similar sentiment about the fight`s result. Their message read: “Less than four years in the sport, and already on the biggest stage. Setbacks are part of the journey. Learn, grow, and come back stronger. Bo Nickal will be back.”
Before his loss to de Ridder, Nickal had been almost perfect throughout his nascent MMA career, holding a flawless 7-0 professional record that included six finishes either by knockout or submission.
It wasn`t until his previous fight against veteran Paul Craig that Nickal had even gone the distance to a decision, highlighting how his streak of good fortune changed dramatically against de Ridder.
The former two-division ONE champion, de Ridder, created significant problems for Nickal in the clinch and even managed to gain control of the decorated Penn State wrestler on the ground after a grappling exchange resulted in de Ridder landing in a dominant position.
However, despite all the anticipation surrounding Nickal’s wrestling prowess and de Ridder’s world-class jiu-jitsu skills, the deciding factor in the fight ultimately proved to be striking.
As Nickal appeared increasingly fatigued and labored in his movement, de Ridder strategically began focusing his attacks on the body, unleashing a series of painful knee strikes. After Nickal attempted an ill-advised boxing combination, de Ridder immediately countered with a powerful knee strike delivered directly to the midsection, causing the 29-year-old middleweight contender to crumble to the canvas, ending the fight.
The loss brings Nickal’s professional record to 7-1, but it is clear he is already determined to learn valuable lessons from this experience with the goal of achieving a much better outcome in his future appearances.
