Michael Bisping says Bo Nickal backlash exaggerated: 'People are coming after him so hard'

USA Today

07-05-2025

Michael Bisping says Bo Nickal backlash exaggerated: 'People are coming after him so hard'
Michael Bisping believes all the hate toward Bo Nickal is unwarranted.
Nickal (7-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was finished by Reinier de Ridder in this past Saturday's UFC on ESPN 67 co-main event. The former NCAA Division I champion wrestler has never been short of confidence, resulting in plenty of backlash after he suffered his first-career loss.
Bisping thinks the overwhelming reaction by fans has been too much.
"Bo Nickal is getting slaughtered online. He's getting so much sh*t," Bisping said on his "Believe You Me" podcast. "We both met Bo Nickal. He's a really nice guy, he's respectful. Of course, he was confident and rightly so given his wrestling credentials, what he has accomplished in one of the toughest sports on the planet. And yeah, when you put yourself out there and you say you're going to do this, that, and the other, and that I'd be a favorite against Khamzat, OK, you're allowed a little bit of backlash, but holy sh*t, people are coming after him so hard."
Bisping disagrees with the notion that Nickal has been getting preferential treatment in the UFC.
"He's come through the UFC. He was undefeated, and I think some of the backlash is because people perceive that he was getting 'Dana White privilege,' right? But I disagree," Bisping said. "He went on the Contender (Series), they didn't give him a contract because it was too early in his career, he had to come back twice. ...This (De Ridder) was a bad matchup. This is a really bad matchup, and he chose to jump the gilly.
"He's learned, he's just so inexperienced. I think also when you look at the size of them both, Reinier de Ridder is gigantic. He's 6-4 I heard it on good authority, and I won't mention the name, they wanted this matchup. They called out Reinier de Ridder. They were offered another matchup, but no, we want Reinier. It's like, bro, the guy's now 20-2 with world-class jiu-jitsu. You might have sh*t the bed on that one."