Bo Nickal News
Former MMA champion advises the UFC to cut ties with Bo Nickal for a little bit: “You need to go, you need to tighten up everything”
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2025
MMA analyst Josh Thomson has a pretty interesting point of view regarding UFC’s potential stance on Bo Nickal. Last weekend, Bo Nickal suffered his first defeat in professional mixed martial arts. He went head to head with Reinier de Ridder and, in more ways than one, he simply couldn’t keep up with the Dutchman. RDR was all over him from beginning to end, finishing off the American wrestling star with a nasty knee to the body.
Bo Nickal's 'tough weekend' might have been needed, says one veteran UFC coach
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 5, 2025
One well-known head coach has shared his opinion on Bo Nickal’s first pro MMA defeat. Nickal took on Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Des Moines co-headliner this past Saturday. While a win for Nickal would’ve put him in the top 15 UFC middleweight rankings, it wasn’t meant to be. It was the relentless pressure of de Ridder in the standup that overwhelmed the once unbeaten fighter. Nickal was ultimately stopped with a knee to the body in the second stanza.
Reinier de Ridder explains what happened when he finished Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2025
Reinier de Ridder has explained what he felt in the midst of his finishing sequence against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines. On Saturday night, Reinier de Ridder really announced himself to the mixed martial arts world. While he’d already picked up two wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship prior to the Bo Nickal fight, this was the biggest name he’d faced by far. A lot of people were counting him out as a result of the hype surrounding Nickal but in the end, the Dutchman was able to get the job done in convincing fashion.
Bo Nickal shares brief words following UFC Des Moines loss to Reinier de Ridder
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
Bo Nickal kept things short in his reaction following a second-round TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder. The UFC middleweight fight was held inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Nickal was undefeated going into the fight, but de Ridder’s pressure ending up winning the evening. The former two-division ONE Championship titleholder scored the finish after landing a series of strikes that was topped off by a knee to the body that sent Nickal crashing to the mat.
UFC Des Moines Results: Reinier de Ridder stops Bo Nickal (Video)
Chris Taylor - May 3, 2025
We have you covered for all of tonight’s UFC Des Moines results, including the middleweight co-main event between Reinier de Ridder and Bo Nickal. Nickal (7-1 MMA) was last seen in action this past November at UFC 309, where he outpointed veteran Paul Craig on route to a unanimous decision victory. The 29-year-old has gone a perfect 4-0 thus far inside of the Octagon, earning stoppage wins in three of those four contests.
Reinier de Ridder puzzled by disdain for Bo Nickal ahead of UFC Des Moines
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 2, 2025
Reinier de Ridder senses that many fans and fighters don’t like Bo Nickal, and he doesn’t understand why that is the case. De Ridder will share the Octagon with Nickal in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines on Saturday. While Nickal wasn’t the first choice of opponent for the No. 13-ranked middleweight, de Ridder likes the booking because he’s facing a rising name. There has been a ton of buzz surrounding Nickal ever since his UFC debut.
UFC Des Moines weigh-in results: Bo Nickal, de Ridder, 'Figgy,' and Cory Sandhagen make weight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 2, 2025
The UFC Des Moines weigh-ins are in the books, and fans will be pleased to know that there is no pre-fight drama. Headliners Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo tipped the scales on Friday morning and hit their target weights. Sandhagen clocked in at 135.5 pounds, while Figueiredo hit the 135-pound mark.
UFC commentator urges Bo Nickal to be more aggressive at UFC Des Moines
Harry Kettle - May 1, 2025
UFC commentator Paul Felder has urged Bo Nickal to be more aggressive when he battles Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. Up to this point in his career, Bo Nickal has faced a lot of interesting challenges. However, in mixed martial arts, you could certainly argue he hasn’t gone against anyone quite like Reinier de Ridder. The former ONE Championship star poses all kinds of interesting challenges for him to try and overcome and given how much he’s spoken about becoming a champion, this is a test that Bo needs to pass.
Bo Nickal thinks one fighter has edge in possible Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev UFC title fight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 28, 2025
Bo Nickal thinks one fighter has a slight edge in a potential clash between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. The wide belief within the MMA community is that Chimaev should be next in line for a shot at du Plessis’ UFC middleweight title. “Borz” is undefeated with a record of 14-0. He scored an emphatic first-round submission finish over former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Reinier De Ridder reveals surprising strategy for Bo Nickal fight at UFC Des Moines
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 27, 2025
Reinier De Ridder thinks he knows the direction his fight with Bo Nickal could go. De Ridder and Nickal are scheduled to collide at UFC Des Moines on May 3. It’s a big opportunity for both men. For De Ridder, it’s a chance to end the hype train of a rising 185-pounder. On the flipside, Nickal gets the opportunity to make his debut on the official UFC middleweight rankings.
Reinier De Ridder explains why he likes Bo Nickal booking for UFC Des Moines
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 19, 2025
Bo Nickal wasn’t Reinier De Ridder’s first choice for his next opponent, but he has no complaints. De Ridder and Nickal will collide on the UFC Des Moines card on May 3. It’s Nickal’s chance to enter the top 10 UFC middleweight rankings for the first time. As for De Ridder, he admits that he wasn’t expecting to receive the bout offer to fight the surging 185-pounder.
Bo Nickal becomes the latest fighter to criticize UFC Apex events
Harry Kettle - March 19, 2025
UFC star Bo Nickal has become the latest fighter to criticize UFC events taking place at the promotion’s Apex facility. Over the course of the last few years, we’ve seen a parade of UFC shows take place at the UFC Apex arena. It was originally done as a way to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but even after the pandemic came to an end, the promotion continued to use it for fight night cards.
UFC 314 main event between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski possibly leaked by rising star
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 27, 2025
Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2 will headline UFC 314 in Miami, Bo Nickal claims. Much has been made over what’s next for Topuria, the current UFC featherweight champion. “El Matador” has teased possibly moving up to the lightweight division, but he released a statement on social media telling fans to not believe gossip online. Volkanovski has been under the impression that he’s due for a UFC featherweight title rematch.
Chael Sonnen wants to see Bo Nickal vs Khamzat Chimaev in the future
Harry Kettle - January 7, 2025
UFC analyst Chael Sonnen has made it known that he believes Bo Nickal vs Khamzat Chimaev should happen in the future. As we know, Bo Nickal is a very talented fighter. In addition, he’s also exceptionally confident in his abilities. He believes that he will go on to become a world champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and it’s not hard to see why. Still, he has a long way to go before achieving that goal, even if most believe he’ll be fast-tracked up through the rankings.
Bo Nickal reveals key factor in potential future UFC fight with Khamzat Chimaev: 'The longer the fight goes, the worse it's going to get'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 7, 2025
Bo Nickal believes that his wrestling is a cut above Khamzat Chimaev’s. Nickal’s name has been in the spotlight despite only having seven pro MMA fights. Some fans believe a showdown with Chimaev is inevitable, although others are skeptical following Nickal’s recent showing against Paul Craig at UFC 309 back in November. There is still time for Nickal to grow in the sport of MMA, but Chimaev is already on the cusp of championship gold.
Bo Nickal challenges trolls following UFC 309: 'You can see what it feels like to get punched in the face'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 6, 2024
Bo Nickal is daring those trolling him over his UFC 309 performance to meet him in the gym. Nickal took on Paul Craig inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. Despite scoring a unanimous decision win over a seasoned veteran in Craig, fans in attendance were not impressed. It was only Nickal’s seventh pro MMA fight, but the crowd chanted “overrated” at the rising middleweight, who was unfazed by the boobirds.
Bo Nickal vows to take down all future UFC opponents: “There’s really no other guys like Paul Craig”
Harry Kettle - November 27, 2024
Bo Nickal has vowed to take down all of his future UFC opponents following his recent clash with Paul Craig. For the last few years, Bo Nickal has been seen as the next big thing in mixed martial arts. Since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he has been able to put on a string of impressive performances to further bolster that claim. Most recently, he went up against – and defeated – veteran Paul Craig.
Daniel Cormier responds to Bo Nickal’s criticism of his commentary at UFC 309: “I think he may have misunderstood”
BJ Penn Staff - November 22, 2024
Daniel Cormier is trying to clear the air with Bo Nickal. The undefeated Nickal, one of the hottest prospects in the UFC middleweight division, was back in action at UFC 309 last weekend, taking on Scotland’s Paul Craig. Nickal won the fight by decision, but the majority of fans seemed to be disappointed by his performance, and Cormier, who was on commentary duty, didn’t seem to be blown away either. In fact, Cormier was critical enough of his fellow wrestler’s performance that Nickal took issue with his comments after the fact.