Reinier de Ridder won a big victory over Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines, handing his first professional loss to a previously undefeated prospect. The fight ended in the second round, with De Ridder landing a decisive knee in his body, resulting in a knockout at 1:53 of the round.
Reinier de Ridder’s victory
With this victory, De Ridder improved his MMA record to 20-2, with Nickal now at 7-1. De Ridder, a former two-division champion in one championship, used his experience to control many of the impressive action to overcome Nickal’s wrestling pedigree. During the match, De Ridder put pressure on him, exploiting the opening and ended the fight with a series of strikes that ultimately peaked with a knockout blow.
Mysterious baby
Reinier de Ridder is known for prioritizing his family life along with his combat career. He lives in the Netherlands with his wife and two young children, a daughter and son, and forms a daily routine to maximize his time with them. He often takes his daughter to school and enjoys playing with both kids at home and in the gym. De Ridder spoke about the importance of being present with his children, highlighting that their happiness and happiness is his number one priority, regardless of his achievements in the cage.
After the fight, De Ridder shared a personal moment in which his family was involved. Speaking to the media, he said, “I was on the phone with my wife. It was 7am on the morning of getting home. My daughter woke up and came downstairs. And she said, “I thought you were going to win.”
The confidence shown by his daughter predicting his victory was compared to UFC star Conor McGregor’s “Mystic Mac” persona. There, McGregor famously predicted his own victory before they happened. Like McGregor, De Ridder’s daughter showed similar vision, telling her father that she knew he would win, and giving her a light and memorable twist to her post-war celebration.
The exchange highlighted the support De Ridder receives from his family, adding a personal touch to his professional accomplishments. The victory serves as De Ridder as a rising candidate in the UFC Middleweight division, showing interest in facing a higher ranked opponent in the future. Meanwhile, Nikkal is expected to continue to learn from experience and develop as a fighter jet despite the retreat.