At the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, while the crowd was eager to witness Bo Nickal’s next step toward greatness, reality arrived in the form of a silent Dutchman, Reinier de Ridder, who turned the American dream into a second-round nightmare.
What happened at UFC Des Moines wasn’t just a win. It was a brutal correction to the idea that an undefeated record automatically means you’re ready for the elite. Bo Nickal, a former collegiate wrestling champion with a 7–0 record, entered as the next big thing—but ran into a man who knows exactly how to end fairy tales.
Round 1: Who Holds the Strategy?
The first round was exploratory. De Ridder went for takedowns, betting on his ground superiority, while Nickal tried to keep his distance and strike fast.
But those exchanges revealed something crucial: Bo Nickal does not handle pressure well.
Round 2: Crushed by the Knees of Reality
The second round quickly shifted. At the center of the cage, de Ridder applied pressure with powerful knees to the body. Nickal tried to survive, but it wasn’t enough.
On the ground, a clean knee to the gut was the final blow. The referee had seen enough—the fight was over.
Bo Nickal Loses… But Did He Collapse?
Beyond the result, the real question is: Have we overestimated Bo Nickal? Or is de Ridder simply one of those cold killers we’ve underestimated?
Calling Out Sean Strickland: A Challenge, Not a Handshake
After the bout, de Ridder didn’t waste time calling out the name he wanted next:
“I’ve spent so much time in the U.S. I started wondering if I’m still Dutch… So let me face your best wrestler: Sean Strickland, it’s your turn!”
This wasn’t just a challenge—it was a formal statement of intent to join the elite.
Conclusion: De Ridder Isn’t a Guest—He’s Here to Stay
What happened in Des Moines may not have been a title fight, but it might mark the beginning of a new order in the UFC middleweight division.
