Bo Nickal suffered his first MMA loss at UFC on ESPN 67 in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 3, 2025. Reinier de Ridder stopped him with a knee to the body in the second round.
Nickal, a three-time NCAA wrestling champion, carried massive hype into the bout. His 7-0 record and finishes over Jamie Pickett and Cody Brundage fueled expectations.
Daniel Cormier analyzed the defeat on his “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast with Chael Sonnen. He suggested Nickal’s tough weight cut showed fear of de Ridder’s size.
Cormier said:
“Do you think subconsciously Bo Nickal was doing the weight thing because he was very concerned about Reiner de Ridder’s size? Because RDR is a big dude. Especially when they walked out there, RDR was big, he was just walking him down. And honestly, Chael, he made Bo look like a guy that isn’t that good and not ready for the highest level of competition.”
Nickal bulked to 222.6 pounds, cutting to 185.5 pounds, which hurt his performance.
De Ridder, a former ONE Championship double-champion, dominated with pressure and striking. His 3-0 UFC run includes finishes over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.
Fan Backlash and Skill Concerns
Fans on X called Nickal overhyped, with some enjoying his defeat. Aljamain Sterling suggested he move to welterweight due to size issues.
Cormier addressed the criticism, noting fans dislike confident athletes. He said:
“Doesn’t it suck, though, at how much joy people seem to be taking from this? It’s almost like they want the athlete to be confident, they want the athlete to be sure, but then when the athlete’s sure, it’s like, ‘Oh he’s too arrogant.’ Maybe Bo’s going a little far talking about Chimaev. Here’s what he never said, though: He never said he could beat Khamzat Chimaev in a fight. He said in a wrestling match, he would beat Khamzat Chimaev and still to this day, I believe that.”
Nickal’s claim he could outwrestle Khamzat Chimaev sparked debate before the loss. Cormier clarified Nickal never said he’d win in MMA, only wrestling.
Cormier worried about Nickal’s growth, saying:
“He never said he would beat Khamzat Chimaev. He can’t beat Khamzat Chimaev. That was never a thing, at least not now. I remember when I was fighting Stipe Miocic, we were going to try to get Bo Nickal to sign with Zinkin Entertainment, so he came on that recruitment trip. That was 2019. If anything is worrisome to me, it’s that he hasn’t developed further in terms of his skillset. That, to me, is what’s concerning a little bit.” via MMAJunkie
Nickal’s striking and durability lagged against de Ridder.
Coach Mike Brown called the loss a wake-up call, citing Nickal’s inexperience. Nickal, now 7-1, posted on social media about learning from setbacks.
Sterling and fans on X suggest a weight class change or more training. Cormier believes the 29-year-old can improve with time.
Nickal requested the tough bout to test himself. With three years in MMA, he has room to grow and chase UFC gold.
