Reinier de Ridder gets honest about global support to beat Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines: "People don't really seem to like him that much"

Reinier de Ridder is confident going against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines this weekend. De Ridder opened up about the worldwide support, saying many MMA fans are backing him to hand Nickal his first professional loss.

De Ridder, who currently sits at No.13 in the middleweight rankings, will look to move up with a potential win over Nickal in the main event of UFC Des Moines.

In an interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, de Ridder spoke about the support he's been receiving and also highlighted his wrestling prowess:

''I get that from every part of the world. I don't know why but maybe because he is so like such a prospect or something but people don't really seem to like him that much but it is what it is. At Kill Cliff there's a lot of Iowa boys who came here from the wrestling program, so they really told me go get this guy."

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He added:

"I believe I have to make this fight. I have to do this. I have to get close to him. I have to put the pressure on him. I have to get into wrestling scrambles. have to make this. I have to get into the clinch. And it doesn't really matter what he wants to do.''

Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below:

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As for Nickal, he claimed during the event's media day that de Ridder makes a lot of mistakes, whether in wrestling or striking, and that the 29-year-old wants to take advantage of them.

Reinier de Ridder weighs on the potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight

According to UFC CEO Dana White, Dricus du Plessis is expected to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev this year. However, an official announcement from the promotion is yet to be made.

In the aforementioned interview with Mike Bohn, Reinier de Ridder discussed the potential du Plessis vs. Chimaev matchup and backed the reigning middleweight champion to prevail due to his resilience over five rounds:

''I've trained a bit with both of those guys, and it's an interesting matchup. It's a good one, but looking at the way Dricus has been fighting guys, the way Dricus has been finishing guys over the last couple of years, and if you look at Khamzat's fights, I think this must be in Dricus' favor. He's a motherf*cker with everything he throws. He's very, very game. He keeps going for five rounds.''

Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below (8:04):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena