UFC Des Moines was undoubtedly an eye-opener for Bo Nickal. He faced his first and possibly a major setback against former ONE Championship double champ Reinier de Ridder, getting TKO’d by a knee from the Dutchman. Still in the early stages of his career, Nickal is focused on sharpening his skills and addressing his weaknesses, as he recently shared news about getting back into training and joining a new promotion.

Well, Bo Nickal is still a UFC fighter, but he has signed to a freestyle wrestling promotion, which is the first of its kind. Controversial WWE legend and Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, whose net worth is reportedly around $25 million, has joined hands with on-screen personality Eric Bischoff and wrestling veteran Izzy Martinez to establish the Real American Freestyle or RAF. And guess what? Hogan has expressed his excitement about having a 3-time NCAA Division I champion in his organization.

“Bo Nickal is a tremendous athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet. Nickal immediately elevates the RAF roster to new heights with his competitiveness and experience,” Hulk Hogan stated in a press release. “When fans attend an RAF event, they know they’re going to see the best of the best on the mat.” Well, Bo Nickal has announced the news as well on social media with an Instagram post. Moreover, he also announced a new sponsorship deal with a clothing brand. “We’re back. I’ll be repping [ScrapLife] on my feet for all my matches.”

Bo Nickal is quite the polarizing figure in the MMA world, and hence, there were some fans who were happy to see him falter in his last fight. He has been one of the fighters that Dana White has pushed heavily, so he already had some pressure on him to perform and deliver. Well, his last opponent believes Nickal can still become a top fighter in the coming years.

Reinier de Ridder shared encouraging words for Bo Nickal

For someone who trashed Khamzat Chimaev and trashed the Chechen-born star’s wrestling skills, the UFC Des Moines loss was a tough experience for Bo Nickal. But for those who have been criticizing and making negative remarks about the middleweight prospect, Reinier de Ridder has nothing to say. Moreover, he suggests Nickal block the noise because de Ridder is pretty certain that the 28-year-old will do big things in the UFC if he can stay humble and keep working on his craft.

“It’s up to him now. I’ve been in this position. I’ve lost. I’ve lost terribly, like pretty much basically like this fight, I lost as well. Now it’s up to him to see if this can be a negative thing or a positive thing.” Reinier de Ridder told ‘MMA Fighting’. “He can make this into a positive thing… He’s a very strong guy. He’s a very strong individual, and I think he’s going to take some time off from planning a fight, and we’ll see him back in six months, and he’s going to tear through a lot of guys.”

Looks like Bo Nickal has had his fill of downtime after that setback against Reinier de Ridder and is ready to jump back into the mix. We might not have the scoop on his next UFC bout just yet, but he’s set to step into the Real American Freestyle ring for his debut on August 30, 2025. It’ll be fun to watch how this prospect unfolds over the next few years. Drop your thoughts on Nickal in the comments below, folks!