Reinier De Ridder vs Bo Nickal: Predictions, Analysis, and Breakdown

Reinier De Ridder and Bo Nickal are set to face off at UFC Fight Night. Their bout is the 4th fight out of 12 on the Preliminary Card. This is a Middleweight division match, meaning both fighters will compete at 185 lbs (83.9 kg).

Considering the last five matches, Reinier De Ridder is currently on three win streak while Bo Nickal is on a perfect record of 9 wins. Here’s a quick breakdown—and who could be the smarter bet?

Fighters’ Profiles and Strength

Reinier De Ridder – WWWLL

Reinier De Ridder is fighting out of Breda, Netherlands, and is coming into this bout on a three-fight win streak. His professional record stands at 19 wins and 2 losses. His victories include a win over Gerald Meerschaert by arm triangle choke submission and a knockout over Magomedmura Khasaev.

Around 10 months ago, De Ridder faced Anatoly Malykhin and lost via KO/TKO. He couldn’t get the win in the rematch either. In a ONE Championship fight, he faced Vitaly Bigdash and won by inverted triangle choke submission.

SHOP: The Kickboxer Collection

De Ridder is currently ranked 33rd among the best MMA Middleweights. He joined ONE Championship in 2019 and has fought nine times there, winning seven of those matches, mostly through submission. In 2022, he successfully defended his ONE Light Heavyweight Championship against Vitaly Bigdash via inverted triangle choke submission. He also had a draw against Andre Galvao.

In 2021, De Ridder challenged for the ONE Heavyweight Championship and won against Aung La N Sang by unanimous decision. Other fighters he’s defeated include Gilberto Galvão, Rong Fan, Leandro Ataides, and Warren Allison. He also won the vacant HIT Middleweight Championship title by submitting Shota Gvasalia with a rear-naked choke.

Bo Nickal – WWWW

Bo Nickal has a perfect professional MMA record with seven straight wins. He trains with American Top Team and fights out of State College, Pennsylvania. His background is in wrestling. So far, he has won two fights by knockout, four by submission, and one by decision.

His most recent fight was on November 16, 2024, at UFC 309. He faced Paul Craig and won by unanimous decision. Before that, he fought Cody Brundage at UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill. In that match, he secured a rear-naked choke in the second round. Right now, he is ranked 23rd among the best MMA middleweight fighters in the world.

What time is the fight?

The fight kicks off live on Saturday, 05.03.2025 at 07:00 PM ET

Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa, United States

How Can I Watch It?

If you’re interested, you can watch it on ESPN+ Pay-per-view.

Statistical Matchup

CATEGORY	REINIER DE RIDDER	BO NICKAL
AGE	34	29
HEIGHT	6’4″	6’1″
REACH	78.0″	76.0″
PRO RECORD	18-2-0	7-0-0
FIGHTING OUT OF	Breda, Netherlands	State College, Pennsylvania, United States

Final Prediction

Reinier De Ridder is a former ONE Championship World Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion. Bo Nickal’s striking is a problem, though. Bo combines a massive ego with a polite demeanor—he’s kind of the Bono of MMA. He’s tough.

On the other hand, Reinier De Ridder is a submission king. His triangle leg choke is beautiful. He has a lot of experience. He knows how to bring his opponents down and throw punches. He just needs time to improve his striking and defense.

Neither guy is particularly likable. It’s a wrestling vs. judo fight. Reinier had a great first-round win over Kevin Holland. However, he’ll need to be more strategic against Bo to win this match. Bo isn’t the type to back down, get taken down, and accept the bottom position like Kevin did.

De Ridder has been knocked out twice in ONE Championship, showing he relies mostly on jiu-jitsu and doesn’t always stand and fight. Bo is more versatile, in my opinion. If Bo lands his overhand, he could knock De Ridder out cold, but that’s a big “if.”. His judo and BJJ background gives him an edge over American-style wrestlers, who don’t have the same skill set as Dagestani fighters.

He knows how to capitalize on small moments during clinches and scrambles where American wrestlers tend to be predictable. He’s huge, stronger than he looks, still in his prime, and has tons of experience, especially in main events. He’s got a decent chin and great fight intelligence. De Ridder won’t let Bo get comfortable setting up his strikes. It’s going to be an interesting fight, but I’m confident De Ridder will get it done in two rounds.

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS

UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS

RIDDER THE RIZZLER BY SUBMISSION