In a compelling display of skill and determination, Andre Petroski secured a unanimous decision victory over Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 102. This middleweight bout, held at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, showcased Petroski’s strategic prowess and resilience against the formidable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist. Throughout the three-round contest, Petroski’s takedown defense was exemplary. He successfully thwarted multiple takedown attempts, forcing Vieira to engage in a stand-up battle.

After his victory, Petroski made sure to seize the moment. As Daniel Cormier attempted to wrap up the post-fight interview, Petroski quickly interrupted, refusing to let the spotlight fade just yet. With confidence and determination, he shifted the conversation to a potential showdown with rising star Bo Nickal. He said, “I just beat the most decorated grappler in the UFC. Where is Bo Nickal? Where is he at? Where’s Bo Nickal?” While the call-out was very interesting, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen feels there’s someone else who might get the nod ahead of Petroski.

The Hall of Famer duo took to the ‘Good Guy/ Bad Guy’ podcast to discuss the whole scenario. And it seems Reinier de Ridder might fight Bo Nickal on the back of his impressive UFC 311 victory. ‘The American Gangster’ said, “So I went upstairs on ESPN and said by the way apparently de Ridder’s plan was to call out Bo Nickal. That is now turning into something. I’m just sharing with you I am not making an announcement for you but that is starting to turn into something. And de Ridder vs Bo Nickal is a fantastic fight. I got no problem with anybody else calling him out. I think maybe Bo Nickal’s plate is full right now.” 

Moreover, this isn’t the first time that Sonnen has floated the possibility of this matchup. Last month, ‘The Bad Guy’ spoke on his YouTube channel and said, “MVP was fighting up 185 lbs he is very unlikely to get a ranking at 185 lbs even if he beats a ranked guy because it’s not his division. Do you see where a spot all of a sudden opens up? And for the lack of integrity any type of criteria shown by the rankings they got that one and put Bo Nickal in so now all of a sudden, Bo is ranked. And de Ridder who’s got two belts from a meaningful promotion clearly should be ranked and it’s probably the two best guys anywhere on the roster for any weight class that we could get together.”

Sonnen went on to emphasize just how exciting a de Ridder vs. Nickal matchup would be. He continued, “De Ridder vs Nickal it’s not too late neither one of them is signed anywhere it’s a great idea. I think that de Ridder should go for it I wanna see that fight.”

The former two-division champ from ONE Championship has picked up two impressive submission victories against Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland in his UFC outings till now. Among the most intriguing possibilities is a potential clash with Bo Nickal—a matchup that promises to be both thrilling and highly anticipated. But what does the Penn State Alum feel about his potential opponent in the future? Let us take a look at what he had to say.

Bo Nickal shares his honest opinion on Reinier de Ridder as a fighter

Reinier de Ridder wasted no time making a statement in his UFC pay-per-view debut, dispatching Kevin Holland with a slick first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 311. The Dutchman put on a dominant showcase, proving he’s more than ready for the bright lights of the Octagon. With this victory, ‘The Dutch Knight’ remains unbeaten in his UFC campaign, following up his impressive UFC Vegas 100 debut with yet another submission finish. At 34, de Ridder has quickly turned heads in the middleweight division—though one notable contender, Bo Nickal, remains unconvinced.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani ahead of UFC 309, the undefeated 185fer analyzed his UFC Vegas 100 performance. He said, “Yeah, I watched his fight, I mean, he’s got a good record. He’s, you know, a lot stronger in the jiu-jitsu department than the striking department. I think he’s honestly very similar to Paul Craig, he has a lot of similarities and the way they fight and it was a good fight, it was a competitive fight. But, I wouldn’t say I was, like, impressed with it.”

Reinier de Ridder’s experience against top-level opponents—like former ONE heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin—has clearly refined his skills. With both de Ridder and Nickal boasting world-class grappling, a potential showdown between the two could be one of the most fascinating stylistic matchups in the middleweight division. Do you think this pair will fight next against each other? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.