Reinier de Ridder was not worried about Bo Nickal’s wrestling insights.
Returning to the Octagon for his third promotional appearance at UFC Des Moines, “The Dutch Knight” gave an epic show against the former Nittany Lion, folding Nikkal in the second stanza, especially with a brutal body shot.
A skilled BJJ specialist, De Ridder, believed it held a critical advantage over the D-1 National Wrestling Champion, whether it was on the clinch or on the mat.
“This fight will be won or lost in the clinch,” De Lidar told TMZ Sports. “I wasn’t scared of his wrestling because I know we’ll hit the floor and we can find that neck every time, so every scramble is in my advantage.”
Following a show-stealing performance at UFC Des Moines, Reinier de Ridder aims for high
De Ridder’s victory over Nickal was a bit of a moment for the former Two Division One World Champion, but the fact remains that Nickal is a no-rank fighter, and the Dutch himself barely ranks 13th in the top 15 in the middleweight division.
Still, that didn’t stop De Ridder from aiming high in his postwar interview.
“Did you say this is the best American wrestling you have? “(Shawn) Strickland, you’re fine, buddy! Let’s go.”
Strickland is currently sitting as a competitor ranked second in the division after a shortfall against ruler Dricus du Plessis on his final outing.
While the UFC is unlikely to give De Ridder such a high-profile opponent on his next outing, there are plenty of favorable matchups to get him to the top 10. Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze and Marvin Vettori give them a few names.