Outside Source
Reinier de Ridder earned a gritty victory in Abu Dhabi. | Getty/UFC
Bo Nickal know very well how dangerous Reinier de Ridder can be.
“The Dutch Knight” secured his fourth straight Octagon triumph on Saturday, taking a unanimous decision triumph over Robert Whittaker in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner at Etihad Arena. By vanquishing a former middleweight champion, de Ridder inserted himself squarely into the title picture at 185 pounds.
One bout prior to besting Whittaker, de Ridder derailed the momentum of a heavily-hyped prospect, using knees to earn a technical knockout victory against former three time NCAA national champion wrestler Bo Nickal this past May at UFC Des Moines. Whittaker absorbed some of those same knees in the clinch on Saturday, but “The Reaper was able to make it to the final horn.
Nickal, meanwhile, made it a point to praise his former opponent for his work in the Octagon.
Nickal: Title Shot Should be Next for de Ridder
“Congrats to RDR, that was a great fight,” Nickal wrote on X. “Title shot next. I have a long way to go but I will keep improving, getting better and maybe we rematch someday.”
Congrats to RDR, that was a great fight. Title shot next.
I have a Long Long way to go but I will keep improving, getting better and maybe we rematch someday.
— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) July 26, 2025
Before facing de Ridder, Nickal was victorious in his first four Octagon appearances. The 29-year-old doesn’t have his next UFC fight booked, but he is expected to compete at the Real American Freestyle Wrestling event in Cleveland on Aug. 30.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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