“Bo’s an up-and-coming guy. I know he has big aspirations and wants to move faster than he should, but tonight showed…he’s still dominant, he won the whole fight, but he’s got work to do…” Dana White stated at the UFC 309 post-fight presser in response to Bo Nickal being booed mercilessly out of the arena. And for good reason. After all, the Penn State alum and former NCAA D1 champ did not make use of his biggest strength, his wrestling, at the vaunted MSG PPV event and remained cautious throughout the bout to eke out a decision win against veteran Paul Craig. Not a good look for a guy who was essentially being seen as the future of 185fers!

It is safe to say that the nearly 20,000-strong crowd showered Nickal with all they had— a harsh reception for a guy who had just won. Surprisingly, Nickal embraced the moment with positivity. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, he shared his perspective. “I was pumped. They were like, ‘Bo-ooooo.’ How many times does MSG chant your name for that long? So, I’m pumped about it. It was great.” However, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping and his co-host and fellow legend Paul Felder remain cautious about Nickal’s upcoming co-main event bout against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines.

On the Believe You Me podcast, the duo reflected on Nickal’s performance against Craig. “I tell you what. Bo Nickal is obviously still undefeated. The wrestling accolades and the striking are getting better all the time. This is a really interesting matchup you know Reinier se Ridder obviously on the ground is phenomenal. The former two-weight champion over I think was ONE FC but Bo Nickal, what’s he gonna do? Is he gonna take him down? Who was Bo Nickal’s last opponent where he didn’t do…” Bisping said.

Felder chimed in, recalling Nickal’s previous opponent. “Paul Craig,” he said. Bisping nodded, adding, “Paul Craig! And the crowd was booing like crazy. And he got a little bit of criticism afterward. He got some s–t, I think justifiably so! That’s a fight where Paul Craig, not known for his fabulous striking right.

“This was an opportunity for you to be more aggressive and when it wasn’t working out on the feet, it was a huge opportunity to show him that wrestling, and he just never did that. But that being said, I do think that this is the perfect next step for him to kinda right the ship and go out there and do a lot of things that he wasn’t able to do in that Paul Craig fight.” Felder bluntly stated.

On the other hand, the Dutchman continued his impressive streak by submitting Kevin Holland at UFC 311. Afterward, the former ONE Championship star called out several top contenders, including Khamzat Chimaev. While that fight didn’t materialize, Reinier de Ridder believes a win over Nickal would still be a valuable addition to his resume.

“I’m happy with the fight,” de Ridder told MMA Junkie recently. “It’s a good one. It’s not what I asked for. I asked for a top-five guy, but I think he’s a top-five name, right? He’s a very popular guy here in the States, and yeah, I’m happy with the matchup. See if we can make him grapple a bit, see if we can make him wrestle a bit. I think whatever happens, I might steal the spotlight in this one.”

However, de Ridder has warned that if Nickal once again avoids his wrestling, it could prove costly. De Ridder, known for his high-level grappling skills, is confident he can challenge Nickal in the area where he’s most dominant. With both men eyeing the top of the division, their potential showdown promises to be a compelling battle of styles—one that could test whether Nickal’s evolving striking can match de Ridder’s grappling prowess.

Reinier De Ridder dares Bo Nickal for a wrestling-heavy match

Reinier de Ridder is a grappling juggernaut! As a former two-weight world champion in ONE Championship, de Ridder is no stranger to high-stakes battles — and now he’s challenging rising star Bo Nickal to a wrestling-heavy showdown. Despite being a standout NCAA Division I wrestler, Nickal surprised many in his recent fight against Paul Craig by choosing to rely on his striking rather than his grappling. While that strategy paid off, de Ridder isn’t convinced Nickal can avoid a wrestling exchange this time.

During a conversation with MMA Junkie, de Ridder made his intentions clear: “Yeah, I think my wrestling is pretty decent as well. And I want to make him wrestle this time. Last night, he was just sticking and moving, throwing that wild overhand of his, and trying to make sure he didn’t wrestle at all. But let’s make it a wrestling match this time. Let’s see if we can get him to shoot a couple of times. Let’s see if I can get his neck.”

De Ridder’s confidence in his grappling skills suggests he’s more than ready to test Nickal’s wrestling prowess. Will Nickal rise to the challenge and engage in a ground battle, or will he stick to his striking strategy once again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!