Bo Nickal, who had been enjoying a perfect record in the UFC, unbeaten in seven fights, saw his streak crumble at UFC Des Moines. Reinier de Ridder showcased his skill level and proved why he is here to stay in the UFC. In typical MMA fashion, fans quickly turned on the former wrestling standout, reminding him that he is nowhere close to being as good as labelled by many. Despite the backlash, the Penn State alum kept his cool, took to Instagram to share a sincere message with his supporters, and wrote, “Grateful for the highs and lows. I’ll be back.”

Let’s be honest—no one walks away from a tough loss completely unfazed. As Ariel Helwani bluntly put it, being accused of getting “fraud checked” is far from a pleasant experience. So, how is Bo Nickal, a former three-time NCAA champion, handling the criticism? While he’s shown grace on the surface, there’s no doubt the sting of doubt and public scrutiny cuts deep. Still, how he responds in the aftermath will truly define him, not just as a fighter, but as a competitor with something to prove. This time, Nickal responded to the haters with a strong message. Home Of Fight took to their X account to share a video of Bo Nickal, where he pointed out what he would do once he became a champion. 

During the video, Nickal pointed out that being criticized is part of the sport. However, sometimes the haters take it a bit too far, and he has a message for them. Nickal said, “Of course, you know you mentioned there’s a lot of positive and a lot of negative. All the negative for me, I look at that and all is say is just like s..k my d..k. At the end of the day like you know say what you want when I get back on top and when I am the freaking champion of the world. You all will come crawling back. They always do. And I will spit right in your face. As soon as you crawl back and you know, ” Bo, can we interview you?”. Where were you? And guess what I am gonna say, ok come over here and spit right between your eyes.” 

The former three-time NCAA Division I champion found strong support in his corner from coach Mike Brown, who defended him against the wave of online criticism. Brown reminded fans that Nickal is simply chasing his dream and doing his best to provide for his family. While Nickal’s confidence may have rubbed some fighters the wrong way, he’s earned the respect of his Dutch opponent, Reinier de Ridder. In fact, De Ridder encouraged Nickal to block out the negativity swirling through the MMA world and expressed confidence that the 29-year-old will bounce back even stronger in his next outing. 

Reinier de Ridder shares some words of advice for Bo Nickal after facing criticism

Amid the wave of negativity surrounding Bo Nickal, there’s at least one voice offering understanding of his opponent, Reinier De Ridder. Rather than piling on, the Dutchman empathized with the decorated fighter’s situation, recognizing the pressure of being a highly touted prospect. And despite Nickal’s past bravado, including his bold 2022 claim that he’d be a –1000 favorite against the feared Khamzat Chimaev, De Ridder holds no grudge. Confidence is part of the game, and he sees no reason to fault the young contender for believing in himself. According to former ONE double champion Nickal, his first professional loss might be the turning point he needed. In De Ridder’s view, a narrow or scrappy win could’ve masked the flaws in Nickal’s game, giving him little reason to evolve. 

During a conversation with ‘Submission Radio’, the 34-year-old had some advice for the young prospect. He said, “They try to put their own ego on top of that and tell everybody, ‘I told him so,’ ‘I never thought Bo was any good.’ But he’s an awesome fighter, man. I am 100 percent sure he’ll be back.” Ridder then shared his devastating experience of losing two fights in ONE Championship. However, he was later able to turn the tables with his sheer hard work and dedication towards the craft. Nickal would also have to return to the drawing board, but for now, he should stay away from his phone, feels Ridder. He further added, “ But the most important thing I would say is put the phone away for a couple of days and don’t go online for the next week, and next week, everything will be normal again,”. 

Will Bo Nickal bounce back from this loss? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.