Reinier de Ridder wants Bo Nickal to bring his best weapon to the Octagon when they face off.
De Ridder is set to clash with Nickal in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night on May 3, taking place at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
"RDR" targeted a high-profile opponent, even calling out top contenders like Khamzat Chimaev after securing back-to-back submission wins early in his UFC tenure. Though he didn’t land the matchup he hoped for, he’s content with the direction his career is taking.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, De Ridder admitted that Nickal wasn’t his first choice for an opponent, as he had his eyes set on a top-five ranked fighter. However, the former two-division ONE Championship champion acknowledged the significance of a victory over the undefeated prospect.
I’m happy with the fight," Reinier De Ridder said. "It’s a good one. It’s not what I asked for. I asked for a top-five guy, but I think he’s a top-five name, right? He’s a very popular guy here in the States, and yeah, I’m happy with the matchup. See if we can make him grapple a bit, see if we can make him wrestle a bit. I think whatever happens, I might steal the spotlight in this one.
Bo Nickal is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Paul Craig at UFC 309 last November. Despite his elite wrestling background, the American opted to forgo takedowns and relied entirely on his striking.
Now, De Ridder is eager to see Nickal fully utilize his most dangerous asset in their upcoming matchup.
I feel my wrestling is pretty decent, as well. I really want to make him wrestle this time. Last fight he was just sticking and moving, throwing that wild overhand of his, and trying to make sure he didn’t wrestle at all. But let’s make it a wrestling match this time, see if we can get him to shoot a couple of times, see if I can get his neck.
"RDR" is fresh off a dominant first-round submission victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January. After leaving ONE Championship, De Ridder made his UFC debut last year, securing a submission win against Gerald Meerschaert at a Fight Night event in November.