DES MOINES, Iowa — Bo Nickal, the wrestling prodigy turned MMA hopeful, got a gut punch in more ways than one on May 3, 2025, at UFC Des Moines. The undefeated middleweight phenom, a three-time NCAA champ from Penn State, tasted defeat for the first time in his pro career, crumpled by a brutal knee to the liver from Reinier de Ridder in the co-main event at Wells Fargo Arena. But amid the sting of a second-round TKO, a former champ stepped up with words to lift the 29-year-old off the canvas.
Henry Cejudo, Olympic gold medalist and ex-UFC two-division king, didn’t waste time. On May 4, he sent a public message to Nickal, drawing from his own scars. Cejudo reminded the young fighter of his own humbling loss—a 2016 TKO to Demetrious Johnson via body shots not unlike the one that floored Nickal. Cejudo bounced back, avenged that defeat, and claimed UFC titles in two weight classes. His message was blunt and brotherly: “The wrestling world took a hit today. Keep your head up, Bo. This is not the end. You’re capable of the same comeback. Get back on your horse.”
The fight itself was a wake-up call. Nickal, who’d steamrolled his first seven pro bouts—four in the UFC—ran into a seasoned wall in de Ridder, a former ONE Championship double champ with 20 fights under his belt. The Dutchman, now 3-0 in the UFC, outgrappled the grappler, flipping Nickal’s wrestling edge and landing punishing strikes. By round two, de Ridder’s knees to the body had Nickal wincing, then folding, as referee Mike Beltran called it at 1:53. It was a stunner, with Nickal entering as a heavy betting favorite.
Nickal’s rise had been meteoric. A 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner, he transitioned from freestyle wrestling—where he nabbed a U23 world title—to MMA with hype as big as his takedowns. Since his UFC debut in March 2023, he’d racked up finishes over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage, plus a decision over Paul Craig in November 2024. But de Ridder, with slick jiu-jitsu and sharper striking, exposed gaps in Nickal’s game, especially his stand-up.
Cejudo’s words carried weight because he’s been there. His loss to Johnson came in his 12th pro fight, but he retooled, sharpened his striking, and later toppled “Mighty Mouse” in 2018 to claim the flyweight belt. He sees the same potential in Nickal, whose wrestling pedigree—183-7 in high school, 131 pins—marks him as a rare talent. Cejudo’s no stranger to mentoring, either; he’s been vocal about Nickal’s need for patience since his UFC debut, urging him to stack experience before chasing top-10 foes.
The MMA world buzzed after the upset. De Ridder, now 20-2, didn’t just win—he called out ex-UFC champ Sean Strickland in his post-fight interview, eyeing a clash with a top American striker after felling a top American wrestler. Nickal, now 7-1, hasn’t spoken publicly since the loss, but Cejudo’s message seemed to echo what many in the sport know: setbacks forge champions.
For Nickal, the road ahead is about regrouping. His next fight isn’t set, but the UFC’s middleweight division is a shark tank, with names like Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya looming. De Ridder’s performance earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, while Nickal left Iowa empty-handed, save for Cejudo’s encouragement and a hard lesson in MMA’s unforgiving math.
UFC Des Moines drew 14,872 fans, with a gate of $2.3 million. The event aired live on ESPN2 and ESPN+. De Ridder’s TKO was one of five stoppages on the main card, which saw Cory Sandhagen top Deiveson Figueiredo in the headliner. Nickal’s loss marked the first time he’s been finished in MMA, pro or amateur. Cejudo’s own comeback took two years and four fights to hit gold. Nickal’s timeline remains unwritten.