Bo Nickal clears the air about possibly moving down to welterweight, tells Ariel Helwani which weight his next bout will be contested at

Bo Nickal addressed the speculation surrounding a potential move down to welterweight during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Nickal suffered his first career loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines last Saturday, which sparked plenty of discussion among the MMA community. Among those who weighed in and reacted was Aljamain Sterling. 'Funk Master' suggested that the former NCAA champion should drop to 170 pounds due to the size disparity he faces at middleweight.

On the latest episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani admitted that he forgot to ask Nickal whether he envisions a move to 170 pounds:

"I did fail to ask [Nickal] one important question. There was a bit of a talking point leading up to our chat in the aftermath of his loss to 'RDR'. And I think Aljamain Sterling was one of the first to bring it up, suggesting that maybe he should move down to 170-pounds."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Helwani added:

"Afterwards, I texted [Nickal] and asked him that question. And he responded right away and said, 'I can't make 170 [pounds]. I'll be at 185 [pounds]. And so for those wondering where he will be fighting next, he is remaining at 185 pounds."

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments regarding Bo Nickal's next bout below:

Expand Tweet

What did Aljamain Sterling say about Bo Nickal?

Following UFC Des Moines, Aljamain Sterling said Bo Nickal's loss to Reinier de Ridder was proof that he is too undersized to achieve success at middleweight.

Sterling posted a clip to X, sharing his thoughts on Nickal's performance and highlighting why moving to welterweight would be a logical decision:

"[Nickal is] just too small for the division. You get guys like Cody Brundage, who he fought at UFC 300 and he was also bigger than him. The fight IQ of [Brundage] isn't as high as 'RDR'. But that's what's gonna happen when you get into that top-15 of that division. Guys are bigger, they're a lot better."

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments regarding Bo Nickal below:

Expand Tweet

About the author

Giancarlo Aulino is an MMA news writer and interviewer at Sportskeeda. Having been onboard since 2021, Aulino has written list articles, before transitioning to MMA news writing.

In addition to writing at Sportskeeda, Aulino can be heard on VIBE 105.5FM in Toronto, Canada, where he conducts interviews called 'VIBEtalks.' Aulino's segments have featured many respected athletes, broadcasters, and celebrities. In 2024, Aulino, along with his VIBE 105 Sports team members, rebranded their content to The Game Plan 'TGP'.

In addition to MMA, Aulino was previously a pro wrestling writer and soccer (Football) reporter and covered Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) and York United FC (Canadian Premier League).

Follow him on Twitter: @Gian_411

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta