UFC's Malcolm Wellmaker recalls Jorge Masvidal sharing motivating message
Bo Nickal responds to criticism after first MMA loss
Bo Nickal joins for his first interview since falling short against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines to reflect on his losing his undefeated MMA record, dealing with backlash from fans and fighters, the best advice he's received, how wrestling shaped his mindset on losing, what's next for his career, and more.
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Forbes
20-05-2025
- Forbes
UFC Abu Dhabi Opening Betting Odds
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand prepares to face ... More Khamzat Chimaev of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi on July 26 for an UFC Fight Night event. The developing fight card, which will feature a UFC on ABC main card, has a middleweight main event between former UFC 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and the fast-rising Reinier de Ridder. When BetOnline first published the betting line for the UFC Abu Dhabi 2025 main event, Whittaker was listed as the -190 betting favorite over the +165 De Ridder. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, Whittaker is listed at -185, while De Ridder is a +160 betting underdog. RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JUNE 22: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand reacts after his victory against ... More Ikram Aliskerov of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Whittaker (26-8) is the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Whittaker has long been one of the best fighters in the UFC's 185-pound division. His only losses under the UFC banner as a middleweight have come against Israel Adesanya, Dricus Du Plessis, and Khamzat Chimaev. The 34-year-old was on a two-fight winning streak since his loss to Du Plessis in a middleweight title eliminator in July 2023 when he stepped into the Octagon to face Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024. Chimaev ran through Whittaker in that matchup, handing the ex-champ his first submission defeat as a member of the UFC roster. UFC Abu Dhabi marks the first fight for Whittaker in 2025. He fought three times in 2024. DES MOINES, IOWA - MAY 03: Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands reacts after his TKO victory over Bo ... More Nickal in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena on May 03, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) Reinier de Ridder (20-2) joined the UFC in 2024. De Ridder was a two-division champion with ONE, claiming titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight weight classes. A talented grappler with 11 career submission victories before inking his UFC deal, De Ridder is 3-0 with the UFC, picking up submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland, while most recently putting and end to Bo Nickal's unbeaten run with a knockout win on the UFC Des Moines fight card in early May. De Ridder is the No. 13 fighter in the official UFC rankings. He gets the opportunity surge in those rankings when he faces Whittaker in July. De Ridder has fought twice in 2025. His win over Holland took place on the UFC 311 pay-per-view card. Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder - Middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault - Middleweight Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov - Light Heavyweight Ramazan Temirov vs. Asu Almabayev - Flyweight Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana - Light Heavyweight Saturday, July 26, 2025 TBA Etihad Arena, Yas Island, United Arab Emirates Man Card: ABC Preliminary Card: ESPN2 We will have more on the UFC Abu Dhabi 2025 fight card as news becomes available.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- USA Today
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ABC 9
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ABC 9 Robert Whittaker will aim to halt another rising middleweight contender at UFC on ABC 9. Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder preview Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) is coming off a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last October, a setback which resulted in the former middleweight champion needing dental surgery. Prior to that, Whittaker scored back-to-back wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov. Unbeaten in the octagon, De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) handed the highly touted Bo Nickal his first career loss when he finished him by second-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 67 earlier this month. The former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion has finished 18 of his 20 professional wins. Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder odds According to FanDuel, former UFC champion Whittaker is a moderate -188 favorite to beat former ONE dual-champion De Ridder, who's a +146 underdog. How to watch Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder at UFC on ABC 9 Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi Broadcast/streaming: ESPN, ESPN+ When: Saturday, July 26, 2025
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Cory Sandhagen stops Deiveson Figueiredo in 2nd round
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in unexpected fashion on Saturday night, forcing the former two-time flyweight champion to submit due to injury to his left knee after a leg lock gone wrong in Round 2. Round 1 of the top-five main event at UFC Fight Night was all Sandhagen. He took Figueiredo to the ground and overwhelmed him with strikes while not allowing Figueiredo to get comfortable. The fight was over at 4:08 of Round 2. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA) called for a title shot later this year, noting beating someone of Figueiredo's caliber greatly increases his credibility. Meanwhile, Figueiredo (24-5-1) goes back to the drawing board. "I want the winner," Sandhagen said, as he plans to keep tabs on the UFC 316 main event between bantamweights Merab Dvalishvilli and Sean O'Malley on June 7 in Newark, N.J. The co-main event saw former ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder hand former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal his first loss in MMA, earning a second-round TKO. Middleweight de Ridder (20-2) used a wide-ranging combination and a plethora of knees to finish Nickal (7-1) at 1:53. Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez got the last laugh over Santiago Ponzinibbio, earning a third-round KO in a back-and-forth affair that had spectators on their feet. Rodriguez (19-5) gave respect to Ponzinibbio (31-9) and is seeking to remain active for the rest of the year. Bantamweight Montel Jackson had little issue defeating Daniel Marcos, securing a unanimous decision by 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. Jackson (15-2) handed Marcos his first loss in 18 fights, while Jackson has won six in a row and showcased a well-rounded skillset with constant pressure in Rounds 2 and 3. Bantamweight Serhiy Sidey won an underwhelming unanimous decision against Cameron Smotherman 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in a wrestle-based bout. Sidey (12-2) has won his last two, while Smotherman (12-5) fell to 1-1 in the promotion. Lightweight Mason Jones opened the UFC Des Moines main card by spoiling the homecoming of Jeremy Stephens with a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, to showers of boos from the Wells Fargo Arena crowd. Jones (16-2) controlled the center of the Octagon with effortless boxing and several submission attempts. Stephens (29-22) returned to the UFC for the first time since 2021 after bouncing around across different disciplines, including bare-knuckle boxing. It was the UFC's first trip back to Iowa since June 2000 when UFC 26 took center stage. The promotion will transition out of the Midwest for UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. --Zain Bando, Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
