Reinier de Ridder sends Bo Nickal ice-cold warning ahead of UFC Des Moines clash: "I was a takedown artist first"

Reinier de Ridder recently issued strong warning to Bo Nickal prior to their fight at UFC Des Moines. De Ridder was confident in using his takedown abilities against Nickal, who is known for his wrestling prowess.

De Ridder is set to co-headline UFC Des Moines this weekend in a middleweight bout against Nickal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The former ONE Championship two-division champion will look to climb up in the UFC rankings with a potential win. Meanwhile, the American puts his unbeaten status on the line against an emerging contender.

During a recent interview with SHAK MMA, de Ridder was asked how would he fare against Nickal's wrestling skills. In response, 'RDR' had a stern warning for the 29-year-old, saying:

''I was a takedown artist first, judoka, was a judoka as a kid. My takedowns always been a big part of my game. I've been taking down guys since before he was even wrestling.''

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Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below (4:30):

While de Ridder aims to take the fight to the ground, Nickal has some other plans. In a past YouTube video, the American prospect emphasized on his striking abilities and suggested a stand-up fight, saying:

''There's a chance, know. There's a chance I shouldn't take down this fight. But I don't know. I'm kind of turning into a striker, so we'll see... Yeah, I'm working on it. Know, it's developing, getting better. I think that I'm a natural, natural striker, so... Over hands there, that's without a doubt, there's no doubt about that.''

Check out Bo Nickal's comments below (via Home of Fight's X post):

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De Ridder is on a three fight win streak and 2-0 in the promotion, the most recent being an opening round submission win over Kevin Holland at UFC 311. As for Nickal (7-0), he is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Paul Craig at UFC 309.

Reinier de Ridder vows to submit Bo Nickal

Reinier de Ridder and Bo Nickal are set to clash at UFC Des Moines. During the media day, de Ridder discussed Nickal's perfomance against Paul Craig at UFC 309.

The Dutch fighter praised Nickal's striking ability, however, promised to secure a submission win, saying:

“Last one was not the greatest fight you’ve ever seen, but he did very well. Showed that he’d been working on his boxing. His footwork was decent, his striking is pretty decent. Talented kid. Very explosive, pretty athletic I think. Time to get choked.”

Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below (0:24):

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