Will Bo Nickal remain undefeated?
It isn’t the main event, but the Bo Nickal-Reinier de Ridder bout is the must-see fight this weekend
The MMA Notebook runs every Friday.
In this edition:
Bo Nickal faces toughest test to date
Jeremy Stephens takes unique path to UFC return
Weekend predictions
Bo Nickal faces toughest test to date
Bo Nickal faces Reinier de Ridder tomorrow.
The former world champion is his toughest opponent to date, yet Nickal still enters the bout as a sizable favorite.
Take the underdog.
RDR has won his first two fights in the UFC. A former ONE Championship Light Heavyweight Champion–as well as a former ONE Middleweight Champion–he possesses the skills and experience to win this fight, exposing two areas where Nickal lacks.
While De Ridder failed in his bid to become a three-division world champion in ONE1, he is the type of opponent to cause fits for Nickal. If this fight gets on the ground, which is where De Ridder (19-2) excels, then Nickal is going to lose his undefeated streak.
The hype behind Nickal (7-0) took a hit after his most recent fight in November against Paul Craig. Nickal made it a point to fight on his feet, refusing to go to the ground with Craig. You can believe Nickal just wanted to improve his striking, but the more cynical view is that Nickal was afraid he would outclassed on the ground by Craig.
That will only be magnified against RDR. Nickal also couldn’t land a knockout shot against Craig, so it isn’t as though he is coming into this bout with a significant striking advantage. As successful as Nickal was in collegiate wrestling, NCAA wrestling skills don’t always translate to the cage. The bout against Craig revealed holes in his MMA game, and now a hungry former world champ is ready to make his name at Nickal’s expense.
What if RDR can capitalize off a mistake by Nickal in a scramble? How will Nickal respond if RDR effectively attacks his legs? Nickal has yet to be tested in the deep waters, which is exactly where De Ridder plans on taking this fight. It all makes this matchup incredibly salivating for those who enjoy gambling as an extracurricular activity, as RDR (+270) winning leads to a nice pay day.
Nickal remains unproven in UFC. De Ridder was once in a similar spot. After winning his first 16 fights, he also looked invincible. Then, after suffering back-to-back losses, we learned that wasn’t the case. Unlike Nickal, he enters this bout battle-tested.
De Ridder hasn’t received any sort of significant fan fare since his UFC arrival. But that all changes with a victory against Nickal.
Jeremy Stephens takes unique path to UFC return
Mason Jones is expected to blitz through Jeremy Stephens tomorrow night.
But the standout part of this fight is that Stephens is back in the UFC. This marks his first bout in the Octagon since July of 2021, a return that was the direct result of a successful run in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Stephens, 38, won all three fights in BKFC. He also proved in the bout against Eddie Alvarez that he is still a draw. Clearly, the matchmakers in the UFC were paying attention, as only three month later, he makes his UFC return.
His time in BKFC helped erase his disastrous finish in the cage. In a stretch that dates back to 2018, Stephens (28-19, 1 NC) lost seven of his last eight decisions, effectively ending his career after dropping two of his three PFL fights.
Yet Stephens is back in the UFC. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back into the cage. Jones is known to fight in the pocket. If Stephens rocks him, the home crowd in Iowa will erupt.
This is a feel-good story that should end with a victory by Jones. Stay away from the underdog here–he hasn’t won a UFC fight in seven years, and that won’t change tomorrow night.
The Pick ‘Em Section
UFC Fight Night bantamweight bout: Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Pick: Cory Sandhagen
UFC Fight Night middleweight bout: Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder
Pick: Reinier de Ridder
UFC Fight Night welterweight bout: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Pick: Santiago Ponzinibbio
UFC Fight Night bantamweight bout: Daniel Marcos vs. Montel Jackson
Pick: Montel Jackson
UFC Fight Night middleweight bout: Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones
Pick: Mason Jones
UFC 214 record: 4-1
2025 record: 45-26 (63%)
Anatoly Malykhin prevented that from happening