Reinier de Ridder made an emphatic statement in his PPV debut, submitting Kevin Holland via rear-naked choke in the very first round at UFC 311. The former two-division ONE Champion showcased exactly why he belongs in the UFC and in high-profile matchups. With this victory, ‘The Dutch Knight’ primed himself for a greater challenge going ahead at 185lbs.

With such an impressive resume, de Ridder has the credibility to call out the best in the division—and people would listen. That’s exactly what he did before his debut at UFC Vegas 100, setting his sights on a top contender. Confident in the work he’s putting in at Kill Cliff FC under Henry Hooft, RDR decided to call out Bo Nickal for a fight.

“Hopefully after this, I’m looking to make a statement in this fight, announce my joining the UFC with a nice performance, and then hopefully I’ll get a crack at some top-level guys,” de Ridder told MMA Fighting. “There’s so many good guys!” He further added, “Khamzat [Chimaev] and Bo Nickal would both be amazing, [Bo Nickal] might be a nice next step.”

So, what does former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen think of this potential matchup? He’s absolutely excited about the possibility. Speaking about the situation on his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained, “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.”

Even before joining the UFC, de Ridder had been keeping a close eye on the promotion, fully aware of the challenges that awaited him. Now that he’s arrived, he knows there are plenty of intriguing matchups ahead—one of the most compelling being a potential showdown with Bo Nickal.

The Penn State Alum who is coming off a win against Paul Craig, is riding high on confidence, making this fight all the more enticing. But what does the Colorado native himself think about this potential clash?

What did Bo Nickal have to say about a potential clash with RDR?

The 185lbs division is currently brimming with talent with potential matches on the horizon. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Bo Nickal shared his thoughts on Reinier de Ridder on the Ariel Helwani Show before UFC 309. “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.”

While Nickal wasn’t overly impressed, fans had their take. Many felt his performance against Paul Craig at Madison Square Garden was underwhelming. Moreover, after the Dutchman’s dominant PPV debut against Kevin Holland, the excitement for this matchup is even more prominent. UFC welterweight king Belal Muhammad also weighed in on de Ridder’s dominant showing, bluntly stating, “That was too easy.”

It’s clear that de Ridder’s experience against elite competition—such as former ONE heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin—has sharpened his game. With both fighters bringing elite grappling to the table, a potential de Ridder vs. Nickal showdown could be one of the most intriguing stylistic matchups in the division. Do you think this fight will happen? Let us know your thoughts on the potential clash!