Undefeated middleweight prospect Bo Nickal took on Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Des Moines co-main event on Saturday.
Nickal entered the fight with a 7-0 record and coming off a decision win over Paul Craig in his last outing. It was the first time Nickal had gone the distance in a fight. The three-time NCAA Division I wrestling national champion planned to keep his unbeaten record intact and pick up another octagon win.
De Ridder made the walk to the octagon riding a three-fight winning streak. He last fought in January, submitting Kevin Holland via rear-naked choke in the first round. He was looking to extend his winning streak and stop the Nickal hype train.
De Ridder came out pawing with his jab. Nickal quickly clinched and connected with an elbow on the break. They clinched again and Nickal delivered knees to the legs of de Ridder. De Ridder responded with right hands to the body. Nickal secured a takedown midway though the round. Nickal landed a right hand. De Ridder scrambled and Nickal applied a guillotine choke. De Ridder popped his head out and gained top position. He moved to side control. Nickal rolled to his knees and stood. De Ridder pulled him back to the ground but Nickal got back to his feet and separated. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Nickal.
Nickal landed a leg koi to start the second frame. De Ridder pressed forward and they clinched after a brief exchange. They traded knees to the body. De Ridder landed a knee. He followed up with punches. Nickal retreated. De Ridder kept the pressure on and dropped Nickal with a knee to the body. That’s it! De Ridder handed Nickal his first career loss.
The time of the stoppage was 1:53 of the second round.
