Bo Nickal has an opportunity to enter the middleweight rankings following affirmation of the Penn State wrestling icon’s subsequent Octagon project.
Nickal, who is taken into account by many to be one of many high prospects in combined martial arts, will combat the previous One Championship titleholder Reinder de Ridder in a three-round contest because the UFC’s Could 3 occasion in Des Moines, Iowa, it has been confirmed.
Nickal, 29, is 7-0 in his growing MMA profession and has received 4 straight fights on the principle roster following a two-fight apprenticeship on the Dana White Contender Sequence following a profitable crossover from collegiate wrestling wherein he grew to become a three-time NCAA Division I nationwide champion.
He scored his most excessive profile win in his new sport final November the place he triumphed over the skilled Paul Craig by unanimous resolution, in what was his first bout to have required enter from the cageside judges.
De Ridder, in the meantime, is a former two division champion at ONE Championship (185 and 205-pounds) and sports activities a 19-2 report in his profession so far. He is an ideal 2-0 within the Octagon, having scored submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland since getting into the organisation in November of final yr.
Thought-about one of the vital potent submission threats at middleweight, the Thirteenth-ranked De Ridder scored 13 of his 19 profession wins by tapout.
Individually, it was additionally confirmed that Cory Sandhagen will combat Deiveson Figueiredo in the principle occasion of the Could 3 combat card which may even characteristic the return of hometown fighter Jeremy Stephens in opposition to Welsh light-weight Mason Jones.
