Dricus Du Plessis is reputed for his unfiltered takes on various UFC subjects. The reigning middleweight champ recently resorted to the same approach while expressing his views about Bo Nickal’s first pro-MMA defeat at UFC Des Moines. Du Plessis provided Nickal with a reality check about his capabilities being insufficient to back his brash claims.
Dricus Du Plessis Counted Bo Nickal’s One-Dimensional Style As the Reason Behind His Loss
Bo Nickal’s class-apart wrestling helped him win three of his first four UFC encounters, while one of his victories came via a TKO. The Colorado native stepped into the UFC Des Moines octagon against Reinier de Ridder with a perfect 4-0 record. However, despite being a multiple-time NCAA Division I champion, Nickal was controlled by his rival on the ground for most of the fight.
A knee from De Ridder in the second round of the encounter proved to be the final nail in a visibly gassed-out Nickal’s coffin. The 29-year-old endured his first pro-MMA defeat via a second-round TKO at the co-main event of UFC Des Moines.
Du Plessis appeared in a recent episode of “The Sias du Plessis Show” where he expressed his views about Nickal’s hype-train derailing loss against De Ridder. ‘Stillknocks’ revealed that he wasn’t a fan of the former NCAA Division I champion’s brash remarks.
Nickal’s claims of having enough to defeat elite UFC middleweights, including Khamzat Chimaev, didn’t sit well with Du Plessis. He jibed at the American Top Team associate saying, “I have no problem with Bo Nickal’s hype, but I do have a problem with how he was talking about people who have done what he has never done. He became a three time NCAA champion, [but] this [MMA] is not wrestling, my good man. And he found out the hard way.”
After taking a few moments to praise De Ridder’s skills, Du Plessis also criticized Nickal for his one-dimensional approach to fights. “The only thing that saves him in every fight is his wrestling, and now that one thing is not working for him. Now the takedowns are getting stopped, and now he’s getting taken down because the other guy has more in the arsenal because his striking is terrible”, said the reigning middleweight king.
Du Plessis opined that there’s a massive difference between the wrestling of the NCAA and MMA. He also presented a few examples of Nickal’s brash claims to detail why he rejoiced watching him lose.
He said, “Humble pie does wonderful things for a man, and I think he got served a full pie. It was satisfying to watch because you can’t just disrespect people who’ve done what you wish you could do. Bo Nickal gave up. He was broken mentally.”
Dricus Du Plessis on Bo Nickal: "This Isn’t Wrestling, My Good Man — He Found Out the Hard Way… It Was Satisfying to Watch
"I have no problem with Bo Nickal's hype, but I do have a problem with how he was talking about people who have done what he has never done.
This is not… pic.twitter.com/MfJqux7h4Y
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 7, 2025
Du Plessis also mentioned that he would be open to a fight against Nickal in the future. It will be interesting to witness if he has enough to serve Nickal a piece of “humble pie” himself if they share the Ocatgon someday.