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There is no shortage of confidence for Bo Nickal ahead of his matchup with Reinier de Ridder. The two men meet in a middleweight encounter in the UFC Des Moines co-main event, which Nickal broke down in a recent pre-fight interview. According to him, he has studied de Ridder and is aware of his shortcomings.
While a skilled fighter, de Ridder has relatively poor striking. Moreover, he isn't a strong takedown artist despite being an exceptional grappler once the fight hits the mat. Nickal believes wholeheartedly in his ability to take advantage of de Ridder's flaws as a fighter.
"He very creative on the ground, so that's something I look at as high-level skills. He also has a judo black belt, so he's a guy that uses that to his advantage in the clinch and being able to throw people. Then I look at his striking and I think that he's got a really good jab, straight left hand is pretty solid. But, I think, that at the same time he makes a lot of mistakes in all areas. On the ground, in the clinch, on the feet and so that's something I'll look to exploit. And I feel that with the gameplan that my team and I have set that I'll be able to do that."
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Check out Bo Nickal's thoughts on Reinier de Ridder:
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Nickal himself is a high-level grappler, or at least a wrestler, having won three NCAA Division I wrestling championships. He's still green as far as MMA is concerned, and his last win over Paul Craig at UFC 309 was widely criticized for its perceived lack of dominance.
Reinier de Ridder is the first world champion Bo Nickal will have faced
At just 7-0, Bo Nickal hasn't faced much elite competition. Most of his opponents have been regional MMA talents, with Paul Craig, a genuine UFC-level fighter, being the highest caliber of fighter he has faced. At UFC Des Moines, he will take on his first-ever true world champion.
Reinier de Ridder is 19-2 and a former two-division ONE champion, having held the promotion's middleweight and light heavyweight titles. He also spent the majority of his career undefeated and will present a curious puzzle for Nickal to solve.
