Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is set for his toughest test to date when the UFC heads to Des Moines, Iowa, on May 3rd.
Nickal will face former ONE Championship two-weight titleholder Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who is currently ranked 13th in the middleweight division after an unbeaten start to his UFC career.
Pennsylvania State wrestling phenom Nickal began his professional MMA career in 2022, and in only his second outing, he competed on an episode of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in August of that year.
A 62-second submission win over Zack Borrego caught the attention of UFC President Dana White, who invited Nickal back for a second fight on the show just weeks later. When Nickal finished Donovan Beard in under a minute, White recognized that the UFC had something special and didn't hesitate to offer the Colorado native a contract, despite his relative inexperience inside the cage.
Life In The UFC Going Well For Nickal
Nickal continued to impress once he entered the big leagues, finishing both Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn in less than a round during the first half of 2024. He was rewarded with a high-profile spot on the main card of UFC 300, where he submitted Cody Brundage—marking his first time entering the second round in his short career.
In his most recent outing, Nickal went the full distance for the first time, outpointing Paul Craig over fifteen minutes at UFC 309 in November. Despite facing his first real challenge, the UFC seems unwilling to slow his progression up the middleweight ladder.
In Reinier de Ridder, Nickal will face an experienced and seasoned champion who brings an elite-level submission threat to the Octagon. "The Dutch Knight," a former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion under the ONE Championship banner, made his UFC debut in November when he submitted Gerald Meerschaert at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
He followed that up with a rear-naked choke stoppage of Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January, a win that saw him break into the 185-pound rankings.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo is set to go down at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3rd. The event will bea headlined by a five-round bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figuieredo, while 34-fight UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens was re-signed to the organization this week and has been booked to face Mason Jones on the same card.
