Bo Nickal sees Reinier de Ridder  as a logical step up in competition. Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on former ONE Championship title holder De Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a three-round middleweight bout May 3 at UFC on ESPN 67 from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Nickal revealed that he specifically wanted to fight De Ridder. “This is a matchup that I asked for, so I feel like it’s a matchup that’s exciting for a lot of reasons,” Nickal said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “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 want to keep fighting better and better guys.