Reinier de Ridder decisively halted the hype surrounding Bo Nickal with a brutal body shot knockout in the co-main event at UFC Des Moines. The dramatic finish occurred on Saturday night, bringing Nickal`s impressive undefeated streak to an abrupt end.
While the fight was anticipated as a battle of wrestling prowess, de Ridder instead showcased his superior striking throughout the contest. He consistently battered Nickal with powerful knees during their clinch exchanges. This relentless attack paid off in the second round when de Ridder landed a devastating knee directly to the body as Nickal attempted to move away, causing the highly-touted prospect to instantly collapse to the canvas.
Referee Mike Beltran quickly intervened to stop the fight at 1:53 of the second round, preventing Nickal from taking further damage.
In his post-fight interview, de Ridder lightheartedly commented on his striking performance. “I was just going to say, I’ve been spending so much time in the U.S., I wanted to see if I was still Dutch,” he joked regarding his effective stand-up game that led to the knockout.
He then issued a direct and clear challenge to former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. “I wanted to say this is the best American wrestling you have, right? Now give you the best American striker. [Sean] Strickland, you’re up, buddy! Let’s go.”
Prior to securing the knockout, de Ridder had already established control in the fight, effectively frustrating Nickal in various aspects of the match.
In the opening round, Nickal threw heavy punches, but de Ridder constantly threatened with takedowns, battling for position against the cage. Although Nickal managed a slick reversal that briefly took the fight to the ground and attempted a guillotine choke, de Ridder skillfully scrambled out of the submission attempt and gained top position before Nickal was able to return to his feet.
As the second round commenced, de Ridder willingly engaged in the clinch once more and began landing hard knees to Nickal`s body. Nickal appeared visibly labored and struggled to maintain position, though he continued throwing wide punches in an attempt to deter de Ridder.
However, Nickal`s attempts to back him off were unsuccessful. De Ridder responded with more precise strikes, including the massive knee strike up the middle that connected directly with Nickal`s midsection. The decorated three-time NCAA wrestling champion immediately dropped to the canvas, leading referee Mike Beltran to jump in swiftly to stop the fight and prevent him from receiving additional punishment.
This victory marked a significant moment for de Ridder, improving his record to 3-0 under the UFC banner. More importantly, it was a decisive win over one of the promotion`s most heavily hyped prospects in recent memory.
Following this performance, de Ridder is now in a strong position and may have the opportunity to choose his next opponent, especially after his public callout of a former champion in Sean Strickland.
