Bo Nickal believes he’s pinpointed several holes in Reinier de Ridder’s game ahead of their clash at UFC Des Moines.
The 7-0 contender has his eyes firmly set on the middleweight title, believing a victory over the former ONE Championship King will move him one step closer to achieving his goal.
Going into the contest as a three-time NCAA Division One national wrestling champion, many believe the American should utilize his sublime grappling skills to get the job done.
However, with Nickal knocking out Val Woodburn with massive shots, the prospect has proven he’s got plenty more strings to his bow.
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Bo Nickal names the three weaknesses he sees in Reinier De Ridder
Bo Nickal has a massive amount of respect for the skill set Reinier de Ridder will bring to the table later tonight.
However, the undefeated fighter has not shied away from claiming that he believes his rival has weaknesses across the board.
During UFC Des Moines media day, the 29-year-old explained: “He’s very creative on the ground, so that’s something I look at as high-level skills. He also has a judo black belt, so he’s a guy that uses that to his advantage in the clinch and being able to throw people.
“Then, I look at his striking, and I think that he’s got a really good jab, straight left hand is pretty solid. But, I think, that at the same time, he makes a lot of mistakes in all areas.
“On the ground, in the clinch, on the feet, and so that’s something I’ll look to exploit. And I feel that with the game plan that my team and I have set that I’ll be able to do that.”
Bo Nickal ‘loses 37lb in one week’ as he weighs in for UFC Des Moines
While Nickal certainly isn’t lacking in confidence, by the sounds of things, he’s had to go through his fair share of adversity over the last few days.
Weight-cutting in MMA is rarely easy, with fighters often having to drop a significant amount of pounds to get down to their respective divisions.
However, even by normal standards, the grappler has had a lot to cut.
Somehow, Nickal apparently lost 37 lbs in one week for his fight at UFC Des Moines.