Bo Nickal Gets Biggest Test Yet Against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night

Bo Nickal is set for the toughest test of his career as he steps into the Octagon against former ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night on May 3 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has been on a dominant run since transitioning from collegiate wrestling to MMA. The three-time NCAA Division I national champion has steamrolled his way through the middleweight ranks, securing first-round finishes in all but one of his fights. Despite his undefeated record, some fans were unimpressed with his most recent win over Paul Craig, where his grinding wrestling-heavy approach lacked fireworks.

Now, the 29-year-old American Top Team product gets the chance to silence critics as he faces a dangerous submission specialist in de Ridder.

The Dutchman (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) made a name for himself in ONE Championship, capturing both the middleweight and light heavyweight belts before suffering back-to-back losses to Anatoly Malykhin. After leaving ONE due to contractual disputes, de Ridder made an instant impact in the UFC with submission victories over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.

With elite-level ground games on both sides, this matchup is expected to be a battle of grappling supremacy. Will Nickal’s wrestling prove too much, or can de Ridder capitalize on any openings and lock in another signature submission?

The UFC Fight Night card for May 3 also features several other high-stakes matchups:

• Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
• Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
• Mason Jones vs. Jeremy Stephens
• Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
• Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
• Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
• Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
• Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
• Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
• Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder