“Bo Nickal folded like dirty laundry.” “Nickal doesn’t have the guts to fight bare knuckle. Bo would need a guts transplant from a real man.” “LOL Bo Nickal fraud checked.” Social media exploded with brutal takes. The memes were relentless, the criticism unfiltered. For a man once hailed as one of the UFC’s most promising middleweights, the backlash was deafening. But what exactly triggered this tidal wave of ridicule?

On Saturday, April 3, Bo Nickal (7–1), a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and a rising star in the UFC, stepped into the Octagon for what was billed as his toughest test yet. Across from him stood Reinier de Ridder (20–2), a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder. Meanwhile, fans expected a gritty, tactical war on the mat. What they got was a shocking reality check. But after a tightly contested opening round filled with high-level scrambles, the second round belonged entirely to de Ridder. Pressing Nickal against the fence, he unleashed a flurry of sharp punches before delivering a devastating knee to the liver that crumpled the once-undefeated star. The referee stepped in at 1:53 of Round 2, marking the first loss of Nickal’s professional MMA career. And just like that, the internet went wild. But not everyone joined the dogpile.

Enter Carter Starocci, a fellow Penn State wrestling legend and five-time NCAA champion, who took to X (formerly Twitter) with a message of belief. In just six words, Starocci threw his full support behind the senior from his former team: “Easy fix. Bo will be champ!” It wasn’t a long post. But it didn’t have to be.

For many fans, especially those from collegiate wrestling and boxing circles who had hitched their hopes to Nickal’s undefeated hype train, the loss was hard to stomach. Nickal was supposed to be the next big thing — the American wrestling phenom who would smash his way to UFC gold. Now, with one crushing liver shot, the dream was temporarily derailed. In the fight game, setbacks are part of the journey. Champions aren’t defined by how they win—they’re defined by how they come back after losing. Saturday night may have been a devastating blow for Nickal and his supporters, but fighters like Starocci understand something the trolls don’t: resilience runs deep in those forged on the wrestling mat. Also, there was a message from Henry Cejudo. 

In his message for Bo Nickal, the former two-division champion wrote, “The wrestling world has taken a hit today. Keep your head up [Bo Nickal] this is not the end.” He also gave his own example (of losing to Demeritus Johnson and later defeating him) to motivate Bo. However, in the past, there were moments when Bo came forward supporting Carter. 

Bo Nickal has always been Carter Starocci’s support 

When Bo Nickal speaks, the wrestling world listens. And last year, when he called Carter Starocci “one of the toughest humans on the planet,” he wasn’t exaggerating — he was speaking from the heart.

It was March 24 last year, the night Starocci won yet another NCAA national title. But what most people didn’t know — and what Carter kept to himself — was that he did it, recovering from a knee injury. For Bo Nickal, it was more than just a win. It was a statement of grit, of warrior spirit, of Penn State pride. But the respect turned personal — and public — just weeks later.

When Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs hinted that he would target Carter’s injured knee at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on April 19, Bo didn’t hold back. “Bro, no. We’re not cool. Like I don’t really care to be cool with you,” Nickal snapped back, making it clear that there are lines you don’t cross — especially when it comes to loyalty. It was an unfiltered, emotional defense of a teammate who had bled and battled beside him on the mat for years. And that brotherhood didn’t end with college wrestling.