Bo Nickal suffered his first professional mixed martial arts loss in a decisive and brutal fashion.
Facing the significantly more experienced Reinier de Ridder in the co-main event at UFC Des Moines, Nickal appeared completely outmatched. The former two-division ONE Championship titleholder dominated Nickal throughout every phase of the fight, ultimately securing a second-round TKO victory.
Although the three-time NCAA wrestling champion initially managed to take de Ridder down, de Ridder showcased slick grappling skills to quickly reverse the position and gain top control. With vastly more professional fight experience (three times that of Nickal before Saturday), de Ridder remained calm and composed, never looking rushed or panicked, even when grappling with the powerful Nickal. De Ridder consistently took calculated risks, successfully worked his way out of trouble, and effectively battered Nickal during standup exchanges.
The fight concluded when de Ridder targeted the body, landing a powerful knee up the middle that clearly hurt Nickal. This prompted referee Mike Beltran to immediately step in and stop the contest.
Here’s a look at how some professional fighters reacted to Bo Nickal’s undefeated run coming to an end:
“Nasty knees”
