No Longer Undefeated

Bo Nickal found out that no matter how highly touted you are, one loss can change your fortunes in an instant.  Combat sports are truly a brutal endeavor.  After suffering his first loss to Reinier de Ridder, Bo knows this for a fact. With his decorated wrestling career, Bo looked to be a surefire star in the UFC.  He showed a lot of promise in his early fights, scoring quick finishes.  Despite his lack of fight experience, Bo has shown to have knockout power in his hands.  As such, many believed it was only a matter of time before he faced the UFC’s top contenders.  

Image – MMA Fighting

Warning Signs

Despite his undefeated record, however, Bo’s record was not spotless.  In particular, the community heavily scrutinized his win over Paul Craig.  Although Bo won via unanimous decision, many criticized his relatively inefficient striking.  Still, a win is a win, and Bo remained confident in his rise.  

 

Reinier de Ridder would prove to be a much tougher test than any Bo had previously faced.  Unlike most of Bo’s previous opponents, de Ridder himself boasted a high level ground game, which he showed in a dominant finish over Kevin Holland.  Still, with Bo’s supreme confidence and hype, it was hard to imagine him losing here. 

The Fight

Unfortunately for Bo, his world came crashing back to reality in devastating fashion.  The first round didn’t look too bad for him initially.  He scored an impressive takedown early.  However, de Ridder took advantage of a failed submission attempt to gain top position.  When Bo managed to return to his feet, he looked surprisingly fatigued.  This sequence did not bode well for him heading into the second round. 

Image – MMA Mania

As Bo unsuccessfully tried to take de Ridder down again in round 2, he found himself tied up in the clinch.  Reinier began landing short strikes in the clinch, and Bo did not react well to the strikes at all.  In major trouble, Bo began throwing desperation punches, none of which landed.  Reinier then landed a brutal knee to the body, which crumpled and finished Bo.  

Takeaways

Few UFC fighters can remain undefeated, and the mere fact that Bo lost in and of itself is nothing to be ashamed of.  The manner in which he lost this fight, however, raises many difficult questions for his team to tackle.  On a technical level, his flaws were apparent.  He looked overwhelmed on his back, which suggests that his grappling needs major improvement.  Despite his speed and power, Bo’s striking remains relatively crude by UFC standards.  He almost exclusively throws predictable overhands with no extended combinations or set-ups.  His fatigue within the first round also raises concerns about his cardio. 

However, perhaps the most troubling moment in the fight was his reaction to getting hit.  No matter how skilled you are, it is nearly impossible to challenge for a UFC title without enduring tough fights.  From a viewer’s perspective, Bo seemed to completely fall apart mentally when de Ridder started punching him.  

Make no mistake, Bo Nickal is still a phenomenal talent, and is more than capable of bouncing back.  But while coaches can teach technique and skill, a fighter’s determination and resilience generally comes from within.  Moving forward, Bo will have to prove that he has championship spirit—not only in wins, but in difficult moments as well.

                   Image – MMA Fighting