Bo Nickal hasn’t tasted defeat fairly often in his athletic profession however he at all times appears to return again higher.
That’s successfully the message the three-time NCAA champion wrestler despatched out after breaking his silence following a disappointing end in his co-main occasion battle in opposition to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. The extremely touted prospect suffered a second-round knockout loss after de Ridder blasted Nickal to the physique with a brutal knee strike that ended the battle.
Whereas definitely not the result he needed, Nickal vowed that he’ll bounce again when it comes time to battle once more.
“Grateful for the highs and lows,” Nickal wrote on Instagram. “I’ll be again.”
Simply after the battle ended on Saturday, American High Workforce — the health club that Nickal calls dwelling — additionally launched a short assertion on social media and echoed an analogous feeling concerning the consequence.
“Lower than 4 years within the sport, and already on the largest stage. Setbacks are a part of the journey. Study, develop, and are available again stronger. Bo Nickal will likely be again.”
Lower than 4 years within the sport, and already on the largest stage.
Setbacks are a part of the journey. Study, develop, and are available again stronger. @NoBickal will likely be again #UFC #MMA #Wrestling #Resilience
— American High Workforce (@AmericanTopTeam) May 4, 2025
Previous to his loss to de Ridder on Saturday, Nickal had been nearly flawless throughout his MMA profession with an ideal 7-0 report together with six wins by knockout or submission.
It wasn’t till he confronted veteran fighter Paul Craig in his earlier outing that Nickal had even gone to choice however his success modified to dangerous in opposition to de Ridder.
The previous two-division ONE champion gave Nickal suits within the clinch and even managed to manage the Penn State standout on the bottom after a grappling alternate ended with de Ridder on high.
However as a lot as consideration was paid to Nickal’s wrestling and de Ridder’s world-class jiu-jitsu, the distinction within the battle actually got here all the way down to placing.
With Nickal wanting labored in his motion, de Ridder actually began specializing in the physique the place he started unloading a sequence of knee strikes. After Nickal threw an ill-fated boxing mixture, de Ridder fired again with a knee on to the midsection and the 29-year-old middleweight crumbled to the canvas.
The loss drops Nickal to 7-1 in his profession however clearly he’s already planning on studying from this expertise with hopes for a greater consequence subsequent day out.
