Bo Nickal has finally lost his perfect record. The Penn State wrestling prodigy stepped into the Octagon for a high-octane clash against former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. Nickal believed victory was his destiny—but ‘RDR’ had other plans. The Dutchman weathered the early storm and stunned Nickal with a crushing knockout in Round 2. And after the dust settled, de Ridder wasted no time calling out none other than former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
“I just wanted to check if I was still Dutch, so I tried those knees and they’re still working,” de Ridder told Michael Bisping in the Octagon interview. The Dutchman is 3-0 in the UFC, and now he’s seeking something big—someone with the power to quench his thirst. Fueled by adrenaline, the fighter has called out Sean Strickland.
At the UFC Des Moines post-fight presser, de Ridder was asked about his decision to fight Sean Strickland, to which the former ONE Champion stated, “I think I might be regretting it in a little bit, but yeah, as I said in the cage — this was the best American wrestler, and I wanna go against the best American striker.”
He further added, “And I like Sean — he is a funny dude, he is a real character, and he is still fighting, right? But yeah, I think it’s an interesting matchup style-wise. He’s very good. I don’t think my jab is too— yeah, I would like that fight. I would really like that fight. Next week — Montréal, baby! Let’s go!”
Reinier de Ridder is looking to make a run for the championship, but before that, he may have to go through a former champion. Sean Strickland is coming off a loss to Dricus Du Plessis and has yet to return to the Octagon. A clash between a striker and a grappler would be a masterclass in styles, but we’re still waiting to see whether Strickland will agree to the bout.
Former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has also called out Sean Strickland for a fight. If the UFC decides to give the opportunity to Adesanya, then de Ridder will have to wait for his chances. Well, what do the fans have to say about Ridder’s callout for Strickland? It appears that they are utterly divided
MMA community couldn’t decide on Reinier de Ridder’s next opponent
Sean Strickland has been on a winning spree against influencers. The former middleweight champion left Sneako bloodied and nearly beat a former NAVY seal to pulp last year. In his latest escapade, he nearly knocked out Nick Nayersina. Observing this, one fan wrote, “Strickland too busy sparring Influencers. I got next.”
Interestingly, another fan believes that Sean Strickland will be fighting Robert Whittaker next, while de Ridder should face someone outside the top five to improve his ranking, “Nah, it’s gotta be Whittaker VS Strickland instead. RDR can still fight up the rankings if he were to fight someone like Marvin Vettori or Brendan Allen, who is ranked higher yet coming off a loss.” It should be noted that Strickland has yet to reveal his comeback plans, but with Israel Adesanya’s callout, things might be swinging in ‘The Last Stylebender’s’ favor, as the UFC could give Adesanya the chance to seek revenge.
But what if the UFC decides to test Strickland against de Ridder? The Dutchman’s resume speaks volumes, and his ground game is considered one of the best, at least in his division. A fight between him and Strickland could be challenging for the American, as Strickland is known for using his striking to counter his opponents. In addition to that, the Dutchman has a 90% finishing ratio while Strickland has won most of his battles by way of a decision. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “RDR embarrasses Strickland in a figh.t”
Furthermore, another fan believes that a matchup between Reinier de Ridder and Sean Strickland sounds to be a bit too good: “I mean, that’s actually not a bad scrap to set up.”
Moreover, a fan expressed, “Would love to see him vs Paulo Costa.” Last but not least, a fan pointed out that, given former ONE two-weight world champion de Ridder’s resume, the UFC should give him a chance to fight for the title, “Bro should fight for the belt. UFC is ridiculous,s having him fight up the rankings like a nobody.”
As Reinier de Ridder challenges the top of the division, what do you think would happen if he fought? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The post MMA Community Remain Divided on Sean Strickland as Reinier De Ridder Told to Embarrass UFC Star After Bo Nickal Humiliation appeared first on EssentiallySports.