I cannot print the array that I am sending to the database - Laravel

I have the following function, but when I run it in Postman to see the result, it doesn't print any value to me, it doesn't even give me an error. The var_dump set if it detects them, but the array does not... I think there is something wrong in the method updateOrCreate , because when I print this variable with var_dump, I can't see anything in the console.

This is the function:

 public function createBidRival(Request $request)
    {

        $response = array('code' => 400, 'error_msg' => []);
        if (!$request->id_karatekas) array_push($response['error_msg'], 'id_karateka is required');
        if (!$request->id_participant_bid_send  ) array_push($response['error_msg'], 'id_participant_bid_send is required');
        if (!$request->id_participant_bid_receive) array_push($response['error_msg'], ' id_participant_bid_receive is required');
        if (!$request->bid_rival) array_push($response['error_msg'], 'bid rival is required');
        if (!count($response['error_msg']) > 0) {
            try {

                var_dump($request->id_karatekas);
                var_dump($request->id_participant_bid_send);
                var_dump($request->id_participant_bid_receive);
                var_dump($request->bid_rival);

                $bidRival = new BidBetweenRivals();
                $bidRival = BidBetweenRivals::updateOrCreate(
                    [
                        'id_participant_bid_send' => $request->id_participant_bid_send,
                        'id_participant_bid_receive' => $request->id_participant_bid_receive,
                        'id_karatekas' => $request->id_karatekas
                        ],

                    [
                        'id_participant_bid_send' => $request->id_participant_bid_send,
                        'id_participant_bid_receive' => $request->id_participant_bid_receive,
                        'id_karatekas' => $request->id_karatekas,
                        'bid_rival' => $request->bid_rival
                        ]
                );
                  $bidBetweenRivals->save;
                $response = array('code' => 200, 'bidBetweenRivals' => $bidRival, 'msg' => 'Bid created'); 

            }catch(\Exception $exception) {
                $response = array('code' => 500, 'error_msg' => $exception->getMessage());
            }
        }
    }

via Chebli Mohamed