“I want to fight asap” - UFC Middleweight contender Bo Nickal opens up on future plans following the first loss of his pro-MMA career

After a career-first defeat against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo, Bo Nickal finally breaks his silence on his future plans at the Ariel Helwani Show. The fighter was on a 7-match winning streak until the time when he was stopped by Ridder via a knockout in the second round. MMA fans instantly started trolling the fighter for his confident statements lately, one of which also mentioned the fact that the UFC middleweight fighter wanted to face the division's top contender Khamzat Chimaev.Amidst all of these, the American fighter finally released a statement while talking about his experience in the fight.UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo was scheduled on May 3, 2025, and a major highlight of the event was the bout between Bo Nickal and Reinier de Ridder. Both fighters stepped into the Octagon to maintain their undefeated streak within the UFC. However, it was Nickal who fell short of the efforts somehow and was put to the ground via a knockout by Reinier. While fans had an outrageous moment trolling the American fighter, Reinier however took a stand for Nickal praising the fighter in one of the recent post fight interviews.Until then, Nickal was not heard from after he stepped out of the Octagon following the defeat. Finally, in the recent episode of the Ariel Helwani Show, the fighter opened up on his experience earned from the fight.Initially, after the fight, obviously, I was very disappointed, very frustrated with myself, and I think that I just am really glad that I have a great foundation of values and things that people have taught me.” The fighter stated, “I don’t really feel that the goal or myself, or anything, has changed. It’s unfortunate to kind of have to experience that, because I hate losing, but even now, having gone through many, many losses in the past and feeling like those were some of the biggest catalysing moments in my life and my career, I’m already very grateful for it.”Nickal adopted a very positive approach in defining his experience of the fighte, “I think that this is nothing but a learning opportunity and experience that I think will just help me grow and improve, and get better.”Since the fight night, the fighter got enough time to accept the loss and analyze the reasons behind it. “I think that now, having looked back, and gone through that, that I wasn’t as prepared as I thought. There was a lot of things that I could have done better prior to, and a lot of things that I could have focused on and done differently” Nickal further added, “when I look at that fight, and some of the things that were kind of his biggest positives in the fight on his side, those were things I wasn’t prepared for.”Despite the defeat, the fighter seems to be ready for his next bout and has shown his eagerness for it in the recent podcast, “I’m totally confident in my abilities still, and this loss does nothing but motivate me even more…I was talking with Coach Mike Brown on the way back, and I was like, ‘I want to fight ASAP. Let’s go get back into it.’ But I think I’ll talk with the coaches and see what’s best”Also read: Belal Muhammad gets the heat as welterweight champion mocked amid UFC 315 sellout struggleBo Nickal, immediately after his first few matches within the UFC, was perceived as a potential contender for the title run. The defeat that came unexpectedly might pose some kind of an obstacle in front of this title run dream for the fighter. However, the strong determination of the fighter will play a major role in helping him achieve the desired success.