UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal has commented on his knockout loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines.
Bo Nickal`s attempt to enter the middleweight Top 15 was dramatically cut short at UFC Des Moines. In the co-main event against former ONE two-division champion Reinier de Ridder, Nickal suffered a knockout defeat in Round 2 from a powerful knee strike to the liver.
This marked Nickal`s first loss in his mixed martial arts career, which had previously seen a dominant run. Before transitioning full-time to MMA, he was considered one of the most promising prospects globally after winning NCAA Division I wrestling national championships for Penn State.
Following his first MMA setback, Nickal became a target for numerous critics and negative comments on social media.
‘Grateful’ Bo Nickal Shares First Message Since Shocking Defeat
Nickal, who recently hinted at potential future matchups against fighters like Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis, showed that he still requires further development to compete with the top-tier middleweights. Prior to UFC Des Moines, Nickal had faced significant criticism for his unanimous decision victory over Paul Craig at UFC 309 in November.
Nickal was among several notable undefeated fighters who experienced their first career losses in 2025. However, for Nickal, given the immense anticipation surrounding his entry into the UFC, he will now focus on overcoming one of the rare moments of adversity he has faced in his combat sports journey.
Despite widespread commentary on Nickal`s performance, the UFC fighter himself addressed his supporters only hours after the event concluded.
In a concise Instagram post, Nickal made his initial public remarks since his unexpected defeat at UFC Des Moines.
His post read: “Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back.”
After achieving two victories on Dana White’s Contender Series, Nickal quickly dominated his initial opponents in the UFC, securing first-round wins over Jamie Pickett and Val Woodburn. He received the opportunity to compete on DWCS having had only one professional fight beforehand.
Former UFC Champ Suggests Bo Nickal Make a Change After Loss
In the aftermath of UFC Des Moines, a former champion suggested that Nickal’s performance indicated he should consider moving weight classes. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stated that Nickal appears small for the middleweight division and would likely benefit from moving down to welterweight.
Nickal has consistently competed at middleweight throughout his MMA career. In contrast, during his collegiate wrestling career at Penn State, the lowest weight class he wrestled in was 174 lbs.
Conversely, Henry Cejudo, a former rival of Sterling, offered Nickal a more encouraging perspective after UFC Des Moines. Cejudo, like Nickal, had a successful background in wrestling before transitioning into mixed martial arts.
As Nickal plans his next steps, he is facing criticism from various sources following UFC Des Moines. Nickal’s loss has somewhat tempered the significant hype associated with his fighting career, and he is expected to seek a return to action later this year.
Benedict Kingsley 
Rupert Hartwell