Reinier de Ridder considers himself a well-rounded mixed martial artist, but he always relies on his excellent grappling skills.
Out of his 19 professional wins, the former two-division ONE Championship titleholder has secured 13 victories by submission. Since joining the UFC, he has already submitted his first two opponents. However, his next fight at UFC Des Moines on May 3 presents a unique challenge. De Ridder will face Bo Nickal, a highly touted prospect and a three-time national wrestling champion.
While Nickal has demonstrated his strong wrestling ability in the past, he received criticism for avoiding takedowns in his recent fight against Paul Craig, which largely remained a striking battle.
“It wasn`t very exciting to watch,” De Ridder commented on Nickal’s last performance in an interview with MMA Fighting. “But he did show that his striking is decent. He has good footwork and hits with power, especially with his left overhand. Still, he didn`t really make a strong statement in that fight. Maybe he just had an off night, who knows?”
Despite being confident in his striking against Nickal, De Ridder understands that grappling is the core reason for this matchup.
This fight sets up a clash between a top submission expert in the UFC and a world-class wrestler with impressive credentials. Having watched Nickal avoid ground engagement with Craig, De Ridder anticipates he will need to initiate the grappling exchanges against the Penn State wrestling star.
“I think I will have to make him wrestle,” De Ridder stated. “Based on the Paul Craig fight, it seems he is quite wary of jiu-jitsu on the ground and getting submitted. So, I believe I need to force him to wrestle.”
“I need to close the distance, pressure him, land a few strikes, and I expect he’ll start shooting for takedowns. I believe the fight will be decided in the clinch. This is where most of the action and exchanges will occur. I`m focusing on landing good knees and elbows, taking him down, tripping him, and getting to his back. That’s my strategy.”
Often in UFC fights featuring high-level grapplers, the contest becomes a less exciting striking match as both fighters are hesitant to engage on the ground.
While De Ridder is not afraid to strike with Nickal, he realizes that fans and the UFC are more interested in seeing a grappling contest in this co-main event in May.
“Who wants to watch us strike?” De Ridder joked. “We are both capable strikers, but come on, let`s make it exciting. Like the Demian Maia and Ben Askren fight in the first round – nobody wants to see that kind of thing.”
Jokes aside, De Ridder assures he is prepared for any scenario. However, he emphasizes that he will take the initiative to grapple if Nickal tries to avoid ground fighting.
He is known as a submission specialist, but De Ridder also has a background in judo. If he sees an opportunity to take Nickal down with a throw, he will.
“I think I can take him down. I believe I have a good chance at that as well,” De Ridder said. “I’ve consistently trained with high-level wrestlers, especially here in Florida at Kill Cliff FC. I’ve noticed that upper body techniques are usually my strength.”
“In many fights, it doesn`t get to that point. For example, in the Kevin Holland fight, I could have taken him down with a single leg, but my first martial art is judo. If I can throw him around a bit, that would be great.”
On paper, De Ridder is taking a greater risk in this fight as he is currently ranked in the top 15 of the middleweight division, while Nickal is unranked.
Although he initially hoped for a fight against a top-five opponent like Khamzat Chimaev, De Ridder recognizes the significance of name recognition in the UFC, and Nickal certainly has a big name.
“I really wanted to fight a top-five ranked guy, but Bo Nickal is at least a top-five name, right?” De Ridder said. “He’s a very well-known fighter, and if I can beat him, it will definitely benefit my ranking and get me closer to the top.”
“I’m very happy with this matchup, and stylistically, it will be interesting. It will be cool to see who is the better grappler.”
If De Ridder can defeat the hyped Nickal on May 3, he anticipates it will significantly improve his position in the middleweight division.
Current UFC middleweight champion Dricus de Plessis is expected to fight Chimaev later this year, and Nassourdine Imavov is also a contender after his recent victory over Israel Adesanya in February.
Considering the current middleweight landscape, De Ridder is uncertain how far a win over Nickal will take him, but he knows it will place him in a very favorable spot.
“Many of the top guys have already fought each other,” De Ridder said. “Who knows? If I can win this fight decisively, maybe by an early submission, I think I’ll have a strong case for a bigger opportunity.”
