UFC commentator and former lightweight contender Paul Felder issued a direct warning to undefeated prospect Bo Nickal ahead of his crucial Saturday showdown with former ONE Championship double-champ Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines, urging the wrestling phenom to be more aggressive after his disappointing last outing.
In an interview with ESPN, Felder called for Nickal to bounce back from his lackluster performance against Paul Craig at UFC 309. "Because in that Paul Craig fight, he went out there, there was a lot of eyeballs, a lot of hype on this kid, and he just never pulled the trigger", Felder told ESPN, adding "you got to go out there, you got to be aggressive. I don't care if it's with the striking or the wrestling, but I think he's really got to commit".
The criticism echoes comments Felder made during the "Believe You Me" podcast with Michael Bisping, where they discussed Nickal's failure to utilize his wrestling against Craig. "This was an opportunity for you to be more aggressive and when it wasn't working out on the feet, it was a huge opportunity to show him that wrestling, and he just never did that", Felder stated, noting that "the crowd was booing like crazy" during Nickal's cautious performance.
The 5-0 Penn State wrestling legend faces his toughest test yet in de Ridder, who brings elite submission credentials that could force Nickal to either engage his vaunted wrestling or risk getting caught in the stand-up exchanges. "Time to get choked", de Ridder confidently stated at media day, highlighting the high-stakes grappling matchup.
Nickal, who "asked for this fight", acknowledges the step up in competition and the need to silence critics after his hesitant showing against Craig. With an emphatic victory, the undefeated prospect could vault himself into middleweight rankings discussions and prove his fan-friendly evolution as a complete mixed martial artist rather than the tentative kickboxer he displayed last time out.
Saturday's co-main event at Wells Fargo Arena presents Nickal with an opportunity to showcase the dominant wrestling that made him college's most decorated grappler - but only if he heeds Felder's advice to let it fly.