Bo Nickal shares first statement following TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines

Rising middleweight contender Bo Nickal broke his silence after experiencing his first professional MMA defeat. Nickal took a major step up in competition as he faced former two-division ONE FC champion Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines on May 3. Unfortunately, the American struggled to implement his game plan against the seasoned veteran and succumbed to a second-round knockout.

In a recent Instagram post, Nickal shared his thoughts on the loss, expressing his determination to come back stronger with a brief message in the caption:

"Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back."

Heading into UFC Des Moines, Nickal was a sizeable betting favorite. However, de Ridder effectively countered his wrestling with Dutch kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The 34-year-old maintained a relentless attack on Nickal's body with knees and punches, gradually sapping his cardio. He also proved effective on the ground, as Nickal appeared slightly undersized during grappling exchanges.

A few knees to the body visibly hurt Nickal in Round 2. While attempting to respond in a desperate attempt, he was knocked out by another knee to the body, making de Ridder the first fighter to defeat the former NCAA Division I national champion in MMA.

The loss has temporarily set back Nickal's title aspirations and will likely prompt a step down in competition. MMA analyst Luke Thomas pointed out that Nickal's lackluster performance against Paul Craig, coupled with his latest defeat, highlights developmental issues in his MMA training. In his UFC Des Moines post-fight show, Thomas said:

"His development is not going correctly. It has not kept up with the hype... It cannot be explained away. His development is poor, it's poor!... In fairness to Bo Nickal, Reinier de Ridder is a good opponent... But, whatever [Nickal] thinks he is doing in the gym, he is not. It is not clear to me at all if there's any improvement in his striking in two years [since Nickal made his UFC debut in 2023]."

Check out Luke Thomas' comments below (3:25):

Despite the setback, Thomas concluded that the loss could serve as a "wake-up call" for Nickal, prompting him to elevate his game to the next level.