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Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal entered Saturday’s UFC Des Moines co-main event against Reinier de Ridder with an undefeated 7-0 record and a lot of expectations.
The three-time NCAA Division I wrestling national champion suffered his first career loss and has faced criticism. His coach, Mike Brown, opened up about the loss and reminded everyone that Nickal, while talented, lacks octagon experience compared to the top of the division.
“Was a tough weekend but maybe one that a was needed. Things have been moving fast for Bo Nickal and to this point he was been able to make things happen and secure 6 finishes and 7 victories with the limited experience that he has,” Brown wrote on Instagram.
“Bo has all the attributes that you want if your goal is to become a world champion in mixed martial arts. He has athleticism, a strong confident mind set, a great family support system, and he started combat sports (specifically wrestling) at a very young age. These are all the boxes that you want to check when developing an elite MMA fighter but the one thing Bo doesn’t have is live fighting cage time and for this there is no substitution. MMA fight experience is crucial and actual time in the cage is extremely important,” continued Brown.
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“As a team we had our concerns about moving so fast and we realize the dangers of fighting such high level opponents so early, but Bo is a unique athlete and the UFC has him on a fast track. This past weekend Bo’s lack of experience showed, his wrestling and athleticism wasn’t enough to overcome what was in front of him. Reinier de Ridder now 20-2 was a multi-time 2 division world champion in OneFC a very reputable organization. Props to him for coming with a strong game plan and executing what was needed.. This is the fight game and it’s cliche but this is where we learn. This is where we make changes and where we make the biggest gains. I’m confident that this is going to fuel Bo and it will help him direct his focus to another level. To all the critics dog piling, remember Bo is nothing more than a man in an arena trying to support himself and his family.”
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