Bo Nickal opens up about upcoming bout against Reinier De Ridder, says he "asked" for it: "Natural step for me"

Bo Nickal recently opened up about his upcoming bout against Reinier De Ridder and disclosed that he was the one who requested it. He noted that it is a great opportunity for him and a step up in competition.

The bout is scheduled to serve as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 256, which is scheduled to take place in Des Moines, Iowa in May. 3. Nickal comes into the bout with an unbeaten 7-0 MMA record, while De Ridder comes into the bout riding a three-fight winning streak.

It will be a step up in competition for Nickal as De Ridder is a former two-division champion in ONE and has an impressive 19-2 MMA record.

During his latest appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nickal weighed in on his upcoming bout and disclosed that it is one that he wanted. He mentioned De Ridder's success in ONE was a factor in him requesting the bout and believes it ensures his career trajectory is on the right path:

"This is a matchup that I asked for. So I feel like, it's a matchup that's exciting for a lot of reasons... He's had a lot of success in other organizations, had success in the UFC, and it's a natural step up for me. I feel like I want to keep fighting better and better guys. And this is a guy that has a proven track record and many finishes."

Check out Bo Nickal's comments below:

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Bo Nickal compares his upcoming bout against Reinier De Ridder to his bout against Paul Craig

Bo Nickal also made a comparison between his latest outing against Paul Craig and his next bout against Reinier De Ridder.

During the aforementioned clip, Nickal mentioned that De Ridder is a somewhat similar matchup as Craig, but highlighted his striking ability:

"It's a similar matchup to the Paul Craig fight, where he's got more of a jiu-jitsu style. But I think, obviously, him being on a win streak and also just having maybe a different type of style on the feet. I think it will prove to be an interesting fight."

Check out the bout announcements for UFC Fight Night 256 featuring Reinier De Ridder vs. Bo Nickal below: