UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen VS Figueiredo (Sun, May 4) promises lots of violence.
But it’s not just the main event that’s going to be a banger. The co-main event, featuring Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder, is another fight worth watching.
Bo Nickal, The Wrestling Prodigy
Bo Nickal, just 28 years old, is currently on a hot streak (7-0-0), with an impressive 2 wins by knockout and 4 wins by submission.
The young American possesses explosive takedowns, a strong submission threat, and strong ground-and-pound.
However, his hype died a little after his last fight against Paul Craig, where Bo seemed overtly-cautious against the 37-year-old Craig.
It was as if Bo had forgotten he was an explosive wrestling beast, and opted to throw hands in an amateurish way instead.
Sure, Bo won, but many questioned why he opted not to wrestle in his usual style. In truth, I did as well.
An Old Knight Still Sharpens His Blade
Reinier de Ridder, contrastingly, is a seasoned veteran (19-2-0) who previously held the ONE Middleweight Championship before being defeated by Anatoly Malykhin. Twice, no less.
But the Dutch Knight is far from done.
He is currently riding a two-fight win streak in the UFC, having demolished both Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland through his BJJ prowess.
With 13 wins by submission over his 21-fight career, Reinier de Ridder is superb at getting the finish on the ground.
A Quick Breakdown
If Bo sticks to his guns, I can see him beating Reinier de Ridder.
Bo is far more explosive than de Ridder. He has the advantage of of being 6 years younger, and his top pressure will likely neutralise de Ridder’s ground game.
The Dutch Knight is no slouch, but he is certainly not as fast as Bo. Sure, he has a powerful submission threat, but Bo has that too.
OK, but what if Bo chooses not to wrestle? What if he fights the same way he did against Paul Craig?
Well, neither guy is a kickboxing pro.
On the feet, Bo holds the advantage of speed, whereas de Ridder has a HUGE reach advantage (201cm against 191cm).
I can imagine de Ridder frustrating Bo on the feet, keeping the American at range while jabbing at him from distance. Plus, de Ridder has far more experience in dealing with strikers throughout his career.
So, this boils down to explosiveness against experience, similar to a new guard vs old guard scenario that the UFC loves to put on.
Bo Nickal Wins If He Plays To His Strengths
TLDR:
The Dutch Knight won’t be able to outmuscle Bo in wrestling exchanges.
Bo’s ground game is probably just as good as de Ridder’s.
The only path to victory for de Ridder is to stand and bang — but that only happens if Bo plays the fool and does what Khamzat did against Gilbert Burns (UFC 273).
I think Bo wins this.
Before Bo’s fight, however, make sure to tune in to Ian Garry’s massive bout with Carlos Prates on April 27!
