UFC on ESPN 67 takeaways: Bo Nickal's first loss leads to more questions than answers

USA Today

04-05-2025

UFC on ESPN 67 takeaways: Bo Nickal's first loss leads to more questions than answers
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 67 from Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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Miesha Tate's title ambitions are done
Miesha Tate was oh so close to staging a classic comeback to defeat Yana Santos late following a nearly two-year layoff, but she couldn't get it done, and it's ultimately a unanimous decision loss.
Tate (20-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC) is now 2-3 since returning from retirement in July 2021, with multiple long layoffs in between. She's 38, and if she was going to make any noise in a women's bantamweight division desperate for as many interesting things as possible, she had to get this one.
It wasn't the case, though, and although this wasn't a loss that completely closes the door on Tate's career, it wasn't one that inspired hope about anything meaningful happening. The slow first two rounds are an issue that has plagued Tate throughout her career, and if she hasn't been able to fix it by now, it's never going to happen.
Tate may stick around for a few more fights and get some more paydays. All power to her. She is a pioneer of women's MMA who should be able to choose exactly how her exit happens. However, it's clear this second run after coming back from hanging up the gloves has not materialized in the way she wanted.
Jeremy Stephens entertains but can't win comeback
Jeremy Stephens received an ultra-rare opportunity that was the product of perfect timing when he came back to the UFC for a hometown fight in Des Moines against the also-returning Mason Jones.
Although he put on a bloody banger for three rounds and fought tough, the result reflected why Stephens (29-22 MMA, 15-19 UFC) parted ways with the UFC in the first place, and that's because he is no longer built for the current level of competition. He's 1-8 with one no contest in his past 10 MMA appearances overall, and though it's understandable why he took this chance, it also slightly damaged his flourishing stock in BKFC.
Stephens entered the record books in dubious fashion by tying Clay Guida for the most losses in UFC history, and that will certainly be part of his octagon legacy. This was probably it for him, too, because he seemingly only signed a one-fight deal for this spot.
Give Montel Jackson his respect
It might not have been the most exciting performance of his six-fight winning streak, but Montel Jackson is owed another big opportunity at bantamweight after derailing the perfect record of Daniel Marcos by unanimous decision.
Jackson (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has slowly and patiently chipped away at a very strong octagon record for himself, and now it's time to take on the next tier of competition at 135 pounds.
Will Jackson get that? It's hard to tell. The UFC didn't give him an in-cage interview after this win, and whether that was a product of time constraints or a form of punishment for a slow fight, it's unfortunately the type of thing that stunts his growth.
Hopefully the promotion will overlook this particular fight and look at the overall body of work, which included an all-time UFC record-tying seven consecutive fights with at least one knockdown landed, and as a result grant Jackson a notable name in his weight class.
What to make of Bo Nickal's first loss?
Bo Nickal's hype train took a brutal hit from former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder, who lived up to his promise to make it a fight from the opening bell and didn't stop until he folded one of the most highly touted prospects in MMA history with a knee to the body in the second round.
The story of de Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is amazing. He has already exceeded the expectations of many with his tremendous octagon start, but the biggest narrative coming out of this one will of course center around Nickal (7-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), and whether he was fraud checked or thrown into the deep end too soon.
It's hard to give the perfect answer to that question. There's no doubt Nickal set himself up for all the backlash he's received in the wake of his defeat by talking about how he could not only hang with, but defeat, the top tier at 185 pounds well before he'd proven capable of being anywhere near that level.
You can't be too hard on a fighter for displaying unwavering confidence, though. Given Nickal's countless collegiate wrestling accolades, his strong start in MMA, his association with a world-class camp at American Top Team and all the word-of-mouth about his potential in the industry, the hype was understandable.
That said, there were still so many things we didn't know about Nickal to this stage in his career. From his ability to take a punch to his conditioning in a gruelling fight and ability to overcome adversity, what de Ridder exposed out of Nickal by pushing him into unfamiliar territory was not exactly inspiring.
The most fascinating element comes next, though, as we now get to see how an athlete like Nickal, who has experienced so few hiccups of this magnitude in his lifetime, responds to a moment like this. Ideally, this should be a wake-up call about the realities of MMA and what it takes to be the best. But on the flip side, being finished with strikes by a primarily grappling-based fighter in de Ridder is a result that should and likely will make Nickal question what he really wants from his MMA journey.
Cory Sandhagen finds his 'pot of luck'
Some UFC title shots are done on meritocracy. Some are made out of personal rivalries. Others, however, are the product of perfect timing, and that might be how Cory Sandhagen finally get his opportunity to challenge for the undisputed bantamweight title after his main event finish of Deiveson Figueiredo.
Sandhagen was realistic about his spot in the weight class well prior to stepping in the octagon. He wants the winner of the UFC 316 main event on June 7 between champ Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley, and his case is solid in being the highest ranked name who has yet to face either person.
According to Sandhagen, although his resume isn't iron-clad or flawless, he is the most deserving next and has a "pot of luck" to get the shot. He might very well be right, and is doing everything from delivering a dominant win to moving his honeymoon to ensure he's cageside when Dvalishvili and O'Malley rematch for the belt.
He is a compelling contender, especially if he can show up in top form. So he might just have made it happen.