Reinier de Ridder puzzled by disdain for Bo Nickal ahead of UFC Des Moines

Reinier de Ridder senses that many fans and fighters don’t like Bo Nickal, and he doesn’t understand why that is the case.

De Ridder will share the Octagon with Nickal in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines on Saturday. While Nickal wasn’t the first choice of opponent for the No. 13-ranked middleweight, de Ridder likes the booking because he’s facing a rising name. There has been a ton of buzz surrounding Nickal ever since his UFC debut.

Some fans have lashed out at Nickal, and de Ridder can’t put his finger on why.

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Reinier de Ridder on Public Perception of Bo Nickal

Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.com interviewed Reinier de Ridder ahead of UFC Des Moines. During the interview, de Ridder said admitted that several people have told him to take Bo Nickal out on Saturday.

“I get that from every part of the world. I don’t know why,” De Ridder told MMA Junkie. “Maybe because he’s a such a prospect or something, but people don’t really seem to like him that much. It is what it is. At Kill Cliff, there are a lot of Iowa boys who came here from the wrestling program. They really told me, ‘Go get this guy.’ People just say, ‘He rubs me the wrong way.'”

Nickal was on the receiving end of heavy criticism following his last outing against Paul Craig. It was just Nickal’s seventh pro MMA fight and he defeated a veteran via unanimous decision. Fans inside Madison Square Garden in New York City didn’t care about the circumstances and they booed Nickal.

BJPenn.com will have you covered during the UFC Des Moines event. Visit the homepage on Saturday for live coverage of the fight night card. Live results will be updated throughout the show, as well as video highlights.