Bo Nickal’s grappling skills are about to face a tough test in his next contest, as he’s set to take on Reinier de Ridder in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines on May 3. However, a UFC legend believes the rising star needs to take some risks.
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping pointed out a weakness in the UFC middleweight prospect’s last fight. Bisping spoke about Nickal’s hesitation to engage in grappling exchanges against Paul Craig at UFC 309.
Despite his dominant wrestling background, Nickal opted for striking and etched out a unanimous decision win. This has left several fans and Bisping questioning his confidence in grappling exchanges with a submission specialist like de Ridder.
Speaking in an interview with Eurosport, Bisping said:
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“Bo Nickal is in under a little bit of pressure here. He fought Paul Craig and didn’t take him down. Obviously, he’s trying to be smart and not play into the strengths of Paul Craig. But at some point, you’ve got to take a chance. If you can’t get the job done on the feet, then let’s see this amazing wrestling and ground-and-pound that you think you can do.”
Bisping added:
“You’ve got to entertain people. It’s all well and good being undefeated, it’s all well and good having a great record, being this incredible wrestler. But if you go out there and you’re boring all the crowd, even though you get the win, you’re not going to get a lot of opportunities.”
Check out Michael Bisping’s quotes below (9:30):
Reiner de Ridder previews upcoming clash against Bo Nickal
Reiner de Ridder plans to test the grappling skills of Bo Nickal. Recognizing that Nickal shied away from grappling with Craig, de Ridder plans to force the action on the ground.
He’s prepared to put pressure on Nickal, aiming for clinch work, takedowns, and to control the tempo of the fight. While de Ridder respects Nickal’s wrestling, he’s confident in his judo and takedown abilities, ready to make this a grappler’s delight.
Previewing the clash in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, de Ridder said:
“I think I have to make him wrestle. As we saw in the Paul Craig fight, I think he’s pretty scared of the jiu-jitsu on the floor. He’s pretty scared to get caught with something. So I think I need to make him wrestle. I need to get close, put the pressure on him, hit him a couple times, and I think he will definitely start shooting. I think this fight is won or lost in the clinch. This is where the most of the fight is going to happen and most of the exchanges of the fight will happen.”
Check out Reiner de Ridder’s comments below (3:45):
Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
