Having rarely experienced defeat in his athletic career, Bo Nickal is known for making strong comebacks. That`s the core message the three-time NCAA champion wrestler conveyed after publicly addressing the outcome of his recent co-main event fight against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines.
The highly-regarded prospect suffered his first professional setback via a second-round knockout loss. The fight concluded when de Ridder landed a powerful knee strike directly to Nickal`s body, bringing the contest to an end.
Despite the unfavorable result, Nickal expressed determination to learn from the experience and perform better in future fights.
On Instagram, Nickal shared his perspective, writing, “Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back.”
His training facility, American Top Team, also released a statement shortly after the fight, echoing a similar sentiment. They commented on his rapid ascent in under four years within the sport, noting that “Setbacks are part of the journey. Learn, grow, and come back stronger. Bo Nickal will be back.”
Prior to Saturday`s defeat against de Ridder, Nickal maintained a flawless 7-0 professional MMA record, with six of those victories coming via knockout or submission. His previous bout against veteran Paul Craig was the only time he had gone the distance in his career, but his undefeated streak ended against de Ridder.
The former two-division ONE Championship titleholder proved challenging for Nickal in close quarters, particularly in the clinch, and even secured top position on the ground after a grappling exchange.
While much pre-fight attention was given to Nickal`s wrestling background and de Ridder`s high-level jiu-jitsu, the crucial difference in the fight ultimately came down to striking.
As Nickal appeared to slow down and become labored in his movement, de Ridder began targeting the body with a series of knee strikes. Following an attempted boxing combination from Nickal, de Ridder immediately countered with a devastating knee directly to the midsection, leading to the 29-year-old middleweight collapsing.
This loss marks the first professional defeat for Nickal, bringing his record to 7-1. However, he is clearly focused on learning from the experience with the aim of achieving a better outcome in his next appearance.
