UFC 315: Jose Aldo media day interview
Bo Nickal responds to criticism after first MMA loss
Bo Nickal joins for his first interview since falling short against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines to reflect on his losing his undefeated MMA record, dealing with backlash from fans and fighters, the best advice he's received, how wrestling shaped his mindset on losing, what's next for his career, and more.
3:07
Now Playing
Paused
Ad Playing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Set to Face Fastest-Rising Middleweight Star in Legacy Fight
UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Set to Face Fastest-Rising Middleweight Star in Legacy Fight originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The UFC is returning to Abu Dhabi this summer, and Dana White has confirmed a massive lineup for the July 26 Fight Night event at the Etihad Arena. Headlining the card is former champion Robert Whittaker, who will face Reinier de Ridder in a pivotal middleweight showdown. Whittaker's name carries weight in the sport, but this might be the kind of fight that redefines it. It's a test, a statement, and maybe—just maybe—a turning point. Advertisement Whittaker, 34, the proud Australian and former UFC middleweight champion, hasn't been seen in the Octagon since UFC 308, where a face crank from Khamzat Chimaev brought a sudden, painful end to his night. Robert WhittakerGetty Images The first-round submission didn't just stop the fight—it popped his jaw and wrecked his lower teeth. There were reports that you could hear a pop from cageside. Since then, Whittaker's been on the mend, and now he's stepping right back into the fire. Standing in his way is Reinier de Ridder, also 34—a submission ace from the Netherlands and former two-division champ in ONE Championship. De Ridder has quietly built a resume of chaos, finishing his last three opponents, including a dominant submission win over then-undefeated Bo Nickal. His grappling pedigree is no joke, and he has a way of dragging opponents into deep water fast. Reinier de Ridder© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images For Whittaker, it's more than just another fight. This is the kind of moment careers pivot on. He's danced with the best—Adesanya, Romero, Cannonier, Vettori, and most recently, Chimaev. He knows the pressure of the big stage. But he also knows that in a division this stacked, there's no room to fall behind. Advertisement Ranked #5, he could be one big win away from title talk—or one stumble away from being passed by. If he's able to put on a dominant performance in Abu Dhabi, talk of rematches with Chimaev or current champion Dricus du Plessis could quickly come into focus. Both fights carry storylines that fans are eager to revisit—and Whittaker knows he has unfinished business with both. And he won't be alone under the spotlight. The rest of the card is loaded with names and matchups that scream action: UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ABU DHABI – July 26 | Etihad Arena Bout order subject to change Middleweight Bout 🇦🇺 #5 Robert Whittaker vs. #12 Reinier de Ridder 🇳🇱 5-Round Co-Main Event – Featherweight Bout 🇷🇺 Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico 🇺🇸 Bantamweight Bout 🇷🇺 #3 Petr Yan vs. #13 Marcus McGhee 🇺🇸 Featherweight Bout 🇺🇸 Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov 🇷🇺 Middleweight Bout 🇷🇺 Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault 🇨🇦 Light Heavyweight Bout 🇷🇺 Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov 🇺🇿 With top-ranked contenders, proven veterans, and breakout prospects all sharing the stage, UFC Abu Dhabi feels like more than a Fight Night—it feels like a reckoning. For Whittaker, the stakes couldn't be higher. Advertisement Related: Ben Askren: New Update Reveals Emotional Details on UFC Veteran's Ongoing Health Battle Related: Team Makhachev Reveals UFC's Power Play to Elevate Ilia Topuria This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
UFC Announces First Six Fights For July Abu Dhabi Fight Card
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JUNE 22: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand prepares to face Ikram Aliskerov of ... More Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi on July 26 for a UFC Fight Night card at Etihad Arena. UFC CEO Dana White recently announced the first six matchups for that fight card, including the main event, which pits former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker against the rising Reinier de Ridder. In the evening's co-main event, Aaron Pico makes his UFC debut opposite Movsar Evloev in a five-round featherweight matchup. Robert Whittaker vs. Renier de Ridder - Middleweight Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico - Featherweight Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee - Bantamweight Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov - Bantamweight Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault - Middleweight Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov - Light Heavyweight Saturday, July 26, 2025 Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi Main Card: 3:00 p.m. ET Preliminary Card: 12:00 p.m. ET Inglewood, CA - January 18: Reinier de Ridder (blue) celebrates his victory over Kevin Holland (red) ... More during their bout at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Saturday, January 18, 2024. de Ridder won the fight by first round submission. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Whittaker (26-8) is the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Whittaker is 15-4 with the UFC since June 2014. His only losses have come to Israel Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis, and Khamzat Chimaev. Adesanya is a former UFC middleweight champ. Du Plessis is the current UFC 185-pound champion, and Chimaev is scheduled to face Du Plessis in a title fight at UFC 319 in August. In short, the 34-year-old is the gate keeper to the elite of the division. Whittaker is coming off a nasty submission loss to Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024. De Ridder (20-2) has been climbing the UFC middleweight ladder since he joined the promotion after holding the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight titles. The 34-year-old is No. 12 in the UFC 185-pound division. He is 3-0 with the promotion with stoppage wins over Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal. His win over Nickal was his most recent victory, coming in May of this year. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Movsar Evloev of Russia looks on prior to a featherweight fight ... More during UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) Evloev (19-0) made his UFC debut in April 2019 in a featherweight contest against Choi Seung-woo. At the time he stepped into the UFC Octagon for the first time, Evloev was 10-0 and coming off a defense of the M-1 Global bantamweight crown. Evloev, defeated Choi via unanimous decision. Over the next five years, Evloev would climb the featherweight rankings, facing progressively tougher opponents under the UFC banner. He is 9-0 under the UFC banner. In his most recent outing, the 31-year-old defeated former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling by decision at UFC 310 in a 145-pound scrap. Evloev is the No. 4 ranked UFC featherweight. Pico (13-4) joined the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. Pico was with Bellator for his entire MMA career before departing as a free agent. The 28-year-old had an up-and-down run with the promotion, but he enters UFC Abu Dhabi on a three-fight winning streak. His record in his past 10 fights is 9-1. His only loss during that span, which dates back to January 2020, is a October 2022 TKO loss to Jeremy Kennedy in a fighter were the doctor stopped the bout because Pico dislocated his shoulder. We will have more on the UFC Abu Dhabi fight card as fight night nears.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Joe Pyfer fires back at critics: 'I Didn't Get Fraud Checked!', aims at Bo Nickal in fiery rant
The post Joe Pyfer fires back at critics: 'I Didn't Get Fraud Checked!', aims at Bo Nickal in fiery rant appeared first on ClutchPoints. Joe Pyfer has had enough of the 'fraud checked' label. At UFC 316 media day, the surging middleweight prospect addressed the MMA community's favorite insult after his decision loss to Jack Hermansson, and he didn't hold back. In a pointed statement, Pyfer argued that his defeat was nothing like the so-called 'fraud check' that fans and pundits love to throw around. Instead, Pyfer redirected the term squarely at fellow prospect Bo Nickal, whose recent TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder sent shockwaves through the division. The message was clear, Pyfer doesn't see his setback as evidence that he was overhyped or exposed, unlike what he claims happened to Nickal. What Does 'Fraud Checked' Really Mean? The term 'fraud checked' has become MMA's go-to for describing fighters who, after a wave of hype, are exposed as not being as good as advertised. It's a label that stings, especially for rising stars with big promotional pushes. Pyfer, however, insists the label is being misapplied to his own UFC journey. Advertisement Pyfer explained that his loss to Hermansson was a close, competitive affair where he wasn't dominated, finished, or embarrassed. He pointed to the circumstances around the fight, his first main event, his first five-rounder, and coming in less than 100%. Despite the adversity, Pyfer went the distance, losing a narrow decision. 'A lot of people focus on my fight with Jack Hermansson, which is understandable. That was my first major event, my initial significant challenge, and I entered that fight not at my best due to various issues. It wasn't my finest showing, but I wasn't knocked out, I didn't get submitted, and I definitely wasn't fraud checked. If we're talking about who got fraud checked, it would be Bo Nickal, as he was finished in his first loss. I, on the other hand, lost by a split decision, essentially three rounds to two.' Pyfer's argument is simple: a 'fraud check' is when a fighter is thoroughly exposed, finished, dominated, or shown to be out of their depth. By his definition, a hard-fought decision loss to a top-10 veteran doesn't qualify. Bo Nickal: The Real 'Fraud Check'? Pyfer's comments weren't just about defending his own reputation, they were a direct shot at Bo Nickal. Once considered the UFC's next can't-miss superstar, Nickal's aura of invincibility took a major hit when Reinier de Ridder finished him with a brutal knee to the body at UFC Des Moines. Nickal, a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, was touted as a future champion but was stopped in the second round by the more experienced de Ridder. The MMA world pounced. Social media was flooded with 'fraud checked' memes, and Nickal faced a wave of criticism for his performance. Many saw the loss as proof that Nickal's wrestling pedigree wasn't enough to carry him through the upper echelon of the division. Advertisement Pyfer seized on this moment, using it to draw a clear distinction between his own loss and Nickal's. According to Pyfer, Nickal's defeat, where he was finished and his weaknesses exposed, fits the textbook definition of a 'fraud check.' 'Let's redefine what fraud checked is. If anybody got fraud checked, we could say it's Bo Nickal. He got finished on his first loss. I lost a split, basically a split decision, three rounds to one or to two. So it is what it is.' Bo Nickal Responds to the 'Fraud Check' Label For his part, Bo Nickal has handled the criticism with humility. In interviews following the de Ridder fight, Nickal acknowledged the backlash but refused to let it define him. Nickal's focus remains on improving as a fighter, and he's made it clear that he won't be deterred by the noise. Advertisement With Pyfer set to face Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316, the stakes are higher than ever. A win would put him back on track and further validate his claim that he's no fraud. For Nickal, the path forward is about rebuilding and proving that one loss doesn't erase his potential. Related: UFC 316: Can a fully healed O'Malley dethrone Dvalishvili or is the 'Suga Show' over? Related: Nassourdine Imavov isn't waiting for a title shot, he's forcing the UFC's hand at UFC Paris
