Reinier De Ridder Pitches on Negative Backlash After Fraud-Check Win over Bo Nickal

UFC 185-pound sensation Reinier de Ridder gives his take on "fraud-checked" comments hurled at Bo Nickal after Des Moines.

Reinier De Ridder Pitches on Negative Backlash After Fraud-Check Win over Bo Nickal

Reinier de Ridder shares his thoughts on UFC opposition Bo Nickal (Source: X)

Red-hot UFC 185-pounder Reinier de Ridder handed wrestling phenom and prospect Bo Nickal his first career loss this month. In the aftermath of which, Nickal faced fraud-check labels third time in a row. His previous two outings were wins, but faced backlash due to slow running and a slow shift to striking momentum. RDR isn’t a fan of how his opposition got treated in all of this, though.

Reinier de Ridder gave a major jolt to American wrestling, when he defeated the three-time NCAA Division I national /Big Ten alum standout. His UFC on ESPN 67 second-round step-in knee TKO was the third highlight of his short but stout tenure. His victory over the collegiate wrestling standout was to mean something greater; hence, it does not sit right with the Dutchman that “fraud-check” is a term Bo Nickal is being billed with.

Yeah, I don’t like that stuff, …It’s not a nice part of our culture at the moment that people will hate on somebody online like that. I’ve said this a couple of times in interviews after the fight, but it’s pretty easy for him to get away from. He doesn’t need to be on social media. He can just put the phone down for a couple of days and it would have been over. He wouldn’t have had to take all the negative stuff in, but I don’t believe he did. He got most of it in his mind, but it is what it is…I think he’ll be back. 

Donald Trump’s golfing buddy is a decorated Penn State wrestler, who has had a modest run so far. Nickal even had grand plans about being able to defeat UFC 185-pound top contender Khamzat Chimaev.

Touting himself as the next big thing, the American wrestler even doused bold challenges here and there, often taking them back to heart. The heated backlash from fans may have affected Nickal in some way. Reacting to his YouTube Video channel in a since-deleted reaction after the Des Moines scrapper, he welcomed the negativity with a profane “suck my d*ck” added to it.

The ex-ONE FC Champ has doubled down on his sentiments and said Nickal would bounce back. The Dutch fighter felt that Nickal could become an elite fighter as he has yet to reach his prime version. Only constant activity from the American wrestler can help him reach his prime version as he lacks experience in the sport.

Iowa Wrestling gifted Reinier de Ridder after defeating rival

The University of Iowa’s NCAA Division I program is one of the most successful ones in the country. The Hawkeyes are 37-time Big Ten Conference victors and second in NCAA competition history. They tread ahead with 24 stout National Championships.

Reinier de Ridder got special gift from Iowa Wrestling after the UFC event in Des Moines
Reinier de Ridder got special gift from Iowa Wrestling after the UFC event in Des Moines (Source: X)

Subsequently, a rivalry with #1 Penn State put them in the path of Bo Nickal during the latter’s college wrestling career. PSU overwhelmed Iowa 30-8 in the State College B1G Wrestling Showdown recently, adding to the friction evermore.

So, when new UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder defeated PSU alum Bo Nickal, things took a turn on the global podium. Prior to the key 185-pound UFC Des Moines matchup, Nickal, who won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate wrestler (2019), had grand plans to promote a PSU lineup and help them stretch into MMA.

However, after the fallout, the Iowa Wrestling team gifted a care package and a jersey to de Ridder. It is one that he has doused in quite a few media appearances after.

‘RDR’ wanted a stiff striker’s test after his wrestler’s gate with Nickal. However, he now faces former champ and divisional longstay Robert Whittaker next. The duo meets at a UFC Abu Dhabi headliner slated for July 26 at Etihad Arena.

Should the Dutch fighter get past a veteran UFC name like Whittaker, wrestling care packages are the least on the inventory list coming de Ridder’s way. A win over a former champion like Whittaker would cement him for the long haul, putting him in a touching distance of the UFC gold.

Also Read: