Daniel Cormier Weighs in on Reinier de Ridder Win against Bo Nickal as UFC Veteran Tells UFC to “Cut Bo Nickal”
(Image Credit: https://x.com/knuckles_stan/status/1919033833271259160?t=iWPNPr0qzl_k0QkV3XjHUQ&s=19)
UFC Des Moines will be remembered not for the triumphant rise of a star, but for the stunning fall of one.
Undefeated prospect Bo Nickal, once touted as the future of the middleweight division, suffered the first loss of his professional MMA career at the hands of ONE Championship veteran Reinier de Ridder. The bout ended via TKO at 1:53 of Round 2, delivering a sobering reality check to the UFC’s most hyped newcomer as he battered Nickal’s body and forced him to collapse to a knee to signal the end of the fight.
Nickal, a three-time NCAA wrestling champion, entered the Octagon with a perfect record of 7-0 and a mountain of hype behind him. But Reinier de Ridder (20-2), a former two-division champion with a wealth of experience and a black belt in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, proved to be a far tougher test than any Nickal had previously faced.
The Dutchman’s composure, technical savvy, and striking precision overwhelmed the young prospect, who appeared rattled from the opening bell. “The Dutch Knight” completely dismantled the American and killed off the hype train.
UFC Legends React to Bo Nickal’s Defeat to Reinier de Ridder
Nickal, who had confidently predicted dominant wins over top fighters like Khamzat Chimaev, now finds himself on the receiving end of the harshest criticism he’s faced in his short UFC tenure.
Among the most vocal critics was former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson, who argued on the Weighing In podcast that the UFC should remove Nickal from the roster, albeit temporarily.
“The way he lost… the UFC, I’m really telling him, like, you know what? You need to spend probably a good eight months, and you need to go and tighten up everything,” Thomson said, suggesting a developmental path similar to that of Mason Jones and Youssef Zalal.
Daniel Cormier, Nickal’s former training partner and mentor, echoed similar sentiments with brutal honesty:
“[De Ridder] made Bo Nickal look like a guy that isn’t that good and isn’t ready for the highest level of competition.”
Bo Nickal’s Arrogance Backfires as UFC Hype Train Derails
Perhaps more damaging than the loss itself is how the American middleweight has portrayed himself as an unbeatable fighter in the media: just a year ago, Nickal dismissed Khamzat Chimaev’s “levels to this” comment, confidently suggesting he would be a -1000 favourite if they ever fought.
“Who were you fighting at 5-0 bro? Some random dude in Europe, I’m fighting in the UFC on UFC 300… there’s levels to this,” Nickal said at the time.
Now, he has been left with egg on his face because of his last two bouts. While he may have got a unanimous decision over Paul Craig in the fight before his loss to De Ridder, Craig showed gaping flaws in Nickal’s game. The Scotsman, who is known to be quite poor on the feet, was picking him apart from the outside with straight punches and roundhouse kicks to the body.
What’s Next for Bo Nickal After First MMA Loss?
The De Ridder loss on May 3rd only added an exclamation mark to Nickal’s weaknesses, and thus far he has shown no signs of improving on them, as De Ridder fired off strikes to Nickal’s body at will, similar to Craig.
At 29 years old, Nickal’s story is far from over. He remains an elite athlete with world-class wrestling and plenty of time to evolve. But the lesson is clear: get rid of the cockiness and arrogance, and actually work on your weaknesses. Otherwise, you will not get very far – especially in a highly competitive weight class like the UFC middleweight division.
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
