A road bump or a humbling?

Either way, Bo Nickal says that he will return stronger after suffering his first-ever defeat in mixed martial arts at last weekend’s UFC event in Iowa. Nickal, 29, was defeated by second-round TKO by Dutchman Reiner de Ridder — the former two division ONE Championship titleholder — known more for his grappling prowess than his stand-up acumen.

Some oddsmakers had made Nickal the 3/1 betting favourite heading into the contest, with his Penn State wrestling credentials apparently seen as the more telling factor ahead of the fight despite De Ridder’s status as a former world champion with 21 professional mixed martial arts bouts under his belt.

But while this defeat will send Nickal back to the drawing board, he has said in his first public comments following the fight that he won’t let the outcome get the better of him.

“Grateful for the highs and lows,” Nickal said in a message posted to Instagram. “I’ll be back.”

Similarly, American Top Team, the gym generally honing Nickal’s transition from collegiate wrestling to mixed martial arts, added their own comments, saying on social media: “Less than four years in the sport, and already on the biggest stage. Setbacks are part of the journey. Learn, grow, and come back stronger. Bo Nickal will be back.”

The defeat drops Nickal’s professional record to 7-1 and ends a four-fight win streak in the UFC (or six if you count Contender Series wins).