Social media celebrates Bo Nickal’s first career UFC loss

Former Penn State wrestling star Bo Nickal lost the first UFC fight of his career over the weekend, falling by knockout to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday. De Ridder knocked out Nickal with a step-in knee at the 1:12 mark of round 2.

REINIER DE RIDDER KNOCKS OUT BO NICKAL TO HAND HIM HIS FIRST MMA LOSS 😱 #UFCDESMOINES pic.twitter.com/Um2kLpFezN

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 4, 2025

With the defeat, Nickal falls to 7-1 (4-1 UFC) in his MMA career. For the first time, the ex-Nittany Lion has lost a step of the momentum that had been building over the last several years.

De Ridder is no slouch himself, now 20-2 (3-0 UFC) in his career. However, the higher level of competition appeared to be too much for Nickal as he still makes the full transition from a national champion wrestler to a well-rounded UFC fighter.

Social Media celebrates the loss

Before Saturday’s fight, there had been some resentment within the MMA community over how fast Nickal had risen to prominence. Nickal started headlining cards less than 10 fights into his MMA career, including only five UFC fights. Dana White clearly thinks that the former Penn State wrestler has what it takes to be the next star in the sport and has given him plenty of spotlight chances.

As a result, Saturday night was a pivotal moment for many in the sport who viewed Nickal as a victim of favoritism.

Bo Nickal is the pinnacle of American wrestling. 3 time D1 champ, big 10 athlete of the year.

He’s gonna be a problem for anyone with his wrestling. But I needed to see how he would react when he got punched in the face.

Man wanted to quit after that first knee to the body https://t.co/ssnLfWGtdF

— Bert (@aaortiz1124) May 4, 2025

People talk about Bo Nickal like he’s some prospect developing at a rapid pace.

He’s 29, barely fights, and has shown zero improvements since fighting cans on PPV openers.

It’s Boever. https://t.co/nIyPBq8fG4

— Jonah (@JShiffyDFS) May 4, 2025

Barstool Sports personality says slow the trash talk on former Penn State wrestling star

On the other side, Jack McGuire of Barstool Sports’ Spinnin Backfist podcast says the response to Bo Nickal’s loss has gone to far.

“Sure, the hype for Bo Nickal was out of control last year. But he didn’t lose to some bum last night,” McGuire said following the fight. “We all know Reinier de Ridder is legit legit. Hindsight is 20/20, but we downplayed his [Nickal’s] experience. All that being said, this is MMA. Guys take losses all the time. This was probably too much, too soon for Bo Nickal.”

The response to Bo Nickal’s loss last night has gone a bit too far.

This is MMA. Fighters lose and come back. His career isn’t over. pic.twitter.com/XzbLpLO65I

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 4, 2025

For his part, De Ridder has publicly defended Nickal in the aftermath of the fight.

“I’m just happy I got a chance to fight him now and not in three years,” he said. “In three years, he’s going to be a f*cking killer. He’s going to run through everybody.”

Bo Nickal will get plenty of fights moving forward. While his ascent may be put on hold for the moment; he still is very inexperienced fighter despite being 29 years old. Only time will tell how the ex-Penn State wrestling star bounces back from this first loss.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.