UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal issued a statement on his knockout loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines.
Bo Nickal‘s bid to enter the middleweight Top 15 fell short in stunning fashion at UFC Des Moines. In the co-main event against former ONE two-division champion Reinier de Ridder, Nickal was knocked out in Round 2 with a brutal knee to the liver.
It was Nickal’s first MMA defeat after a dominant run thus far in his career. Before making the full-time transition to MMA, he was one of the most hyped prospects on the planet after winning NCAA Division I wrestling national championships at Penn State.
After suffering his first MMA setback, Nickal heard from many trolls and critics on social media.
‘Grateful’ Bo Nickal shares first message since shocking UFC Des Moines defeat
Nickal, who recently teased future matchups against the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis, showed he still has a ways to go to compete against the top middleweights. Before UFC Des Moines, Nickal was heavily criticized for his unanimous decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309 in November.
Nickal was one of several prominent undefeated fighters to suffer their first losses in 2025. But for Nickal, after the immense hype he entered the UFC with, he’ll look to overcome one of the few moments of adversity in his combat sports career.
Despite many voices weighing in on Nickal’s performance, the UFC star himself addressed his fans just hours after the event.
In a cryptic Instagram post, Nickal issued his first public remarks since his shocking defeat at UFC Des Moines.
“Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back,” Nickal posted.
After two Dana White’s Contender Series wins, Nickal dominated his early UFC competition, including first-round wins over Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn. He got the call to compete on DWCS after just one professional fight.
Former UFC champ suggests Bo Nickal make a surprising change after first loss
In the aftermath of UFC Des Moines, a former champion suggested that Nickal’s performance showed that he should consider a weight class move. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling asserted Nickal is small for the middleweight division, and he’d be wise to move down to welterweight.
Nickal has competed at middleweight for his entire MMA career. During his collegiate wrestling career, the lowest weight he competed at was 174 lbs at Penn State.
In contrast, Sterling’s former rival Henry Cejudo gave Nickal a more encouraging message after UFC Des Moines. Cejudo, like Nickal, came from a decorated wrestling background before transitioning to MMA.
As Nickal plots what’s next for him in his career, he’s hearing criticism from many sides after UFC Des Moines. Nickal’s loss temporarily calms the immense hype associated with his fighting run, and he’ll look to bounce back later this year.