A fun middleweight matchup between Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder serves as the co-feature of UFC Des Moines. Who has the grappling edge?
Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 67 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC on ESPN 67 preview
Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) enters his first fight of 2025 on the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Paul Craig at UFC 309. That fight was the first time Nickal reached the scorecards in his professional career. In fact, Nickal never reached the third round prior to the fight against Craig. … De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is the most decorated fighter Nickal has faced to date. The former ONE champion is on a three-fight winning streak, including stoppages of Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland in both of his UFC appearances.
Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC on ESPN 67 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in Des Moines features an interesting middleweight matchup between Nickal and de Ridder.
Despite an argument for the higher skills and athletic ceiling long-term, I’m not sure if Nickal is quite as prepared for a matchup like this as the odds indicate. This may be the lowest betting line to date set on a Nickal fight, but that’s for good reason.
Aside from de Ridder having the submission skills to take advantage of scrambling scenarios, the Dutchman is also a deceptive striker given his length, aggression and awkwardness.
I’ll be curious to see if de Ridder’s striking has improved at all since spending time in South Florida with Henri Hooft and company, but I suspect that he has the tools to score an upset here.
Nickal’s accolades and background are well worth respecting, but let’s not pretend that we haven’t seen high-level wrestlers like Ed Ruth or Yoel Romero struggle with step-ups in their respective MMA careers.
The pick is de Ridder by submission in Round 2.
Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC on ESPN 67 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the American fighter, listing Nickal -355 and de Ridder +270 via FanDuel.
Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC on ESPN 67 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Nickal and de Ridder are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:10 a.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN 2 and streams on ESPN+.
