Reinier De Ridder reveals surprising strategy for Bo Nickal fight at UFC Des Moines

Reinier De Ridder thinks he knows the direction his fight with Bo Nickal could go.

De Ridder and Nickal are scheduled to collide at UFC Des Moines on May 3. It’s a big opportunity for both men. For De Ridder, it’s a chance to end the hype train of a rising 185-pounder. On the flipside, Nickal gets the opportunity to make his debut on the official UFC middleweight rankings.

Many are expecting this to be a classic case of a submission specialist going up against a wrestling expert. With that said, De Ridder feels he may be forced to play into Nickal’s game to achieve his goal.

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Reinier De Ridder to Wrestle With Bo Nickal?

During an interview with Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com, Reinier De Ridder said he wouldn’t be surprised if Bo Nickal doesn’t engage with him to the point where he’ll have to wrestle with his opponent.

“I think I have to make him wrestle,” de Ridder said. “As we saw in the Paul Craig fight, I think he’s pretty scared of the jiu-jitsu on the floor. He’s pretty scared to get caught with something. So I think I need to make him wrestle.

“I need to get close, put the pressure on him, hit him a couple times, and I think he will definitely start shooting. I think this fight is won or lost in the clinch. This is where the most of the fight is going to happen and most of the exchanges of the fight will happen. I’m really working on seeing if I can get him with some good knees, some good elbows. Throwing him, tripping him, getting to his back. That’s the plan.”

Nickal kept the aforementioned bout with Craig standing. Craig has a reputation for executing submissions off his back, and Nickal avoided that possibility at all costs. If De Ridder is the one to engage in the grappling, it’ll interesting to see what answers Nickal may have for him.

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