Bo Nickal recently experienced the first defeat of his professional MMA career against Reinier de Ridder. Following the fight, his head coach offered insights into the reasons behind the outcome.
Highly touted as a prospect due to his elite wrestling background (a three-time NCAA Division I National Champion from Penn State), Nickal had compiled an impressive 7-0 record with six finishes. However, his perfect streak ended abruptly at UFC Des Moines. De Ridder applied pressure early, particularly on the ground in the first round, and secured the finish in the second round with a powerful body shot.
Mike Brown, head coach at American Top Team and a longtime mentor for Nickal, discussed the defeat, acknowledging multiple contributing factors.
Brown shared his thoughts on Instagram, stating, “Was a tough weekend but maybe one that was needed.” He noted Nickal`s rapid ascent, achieving seven victories (six finishes) with relatively limited experience. Brown highlighted Nickal’s potential, citing his athleticism, strong mindset, supportive family, and early start in wrestling as key strengths for an elite fighter. However, Brown stressed the critical importance of “live fighting cage time,” which he believes is irreplaceable. “As a team,” Brown wrote, “we had our concerns about moving so fast and we realize the dangers of fighting such high level opponents so early, but Bo is a unique athlete and the UFC has him on a fast track.”
Despite Nickal being a significant favorite, de Ridder brought vastly more experience to the cage, including a distinguished background as a two-division champion in ONE Championship.
From the outset, de Ridder applied relentless pressure, constantly engaging Nickal and landing strikes, particularly to the body, often from the clinch. These persistent body attacks proved crucial, as de Ridder capitalized on an opening in the second round to land a fight-ending knee strike.
Brown explicitly stated, “This past weekend Bo’s lack of experience showed, his wrestling and athleticism wasn’t enough to overcome what was in front of him.” He acknowledged de Ridder (20-2 record) as a highly accomplished opponent, a former two-division world champion in ONE Championship, commending him for his effective game plan.
Immediately following the loss, Nickal faced significant criticism, with some labeling the defeat as a “fraud check” due to the dominant nature of de Ridder`s performance.
Brown quickly defended Nickal, emphasizing that at 29, he is still early in his MMA journey and that this setback should be viewed as an opportunity for growth.
While losing is difficult, Brown, drawing from his own extensive experience as a fighter and coach, understands that setbacks are integral to development in combat sports and provide an opportunity to demonstrate resilience.
Brown concluded by calling the loss a learning experience: “This is the fight game and it’s cliche but this is where we learn… This is where we make changes and where we make the biggest gains.” He expressed confidence that the defeat would “fuel Bo and it will help him direct his focus to another level.”
Addressing the surge of criticism, Brown urged perspective: “To all the critics dog piling, remember Bo is nothing more than a man in an arena trying to support himself and his family.”
