Reinier de Ridder is swiftly making his presence felt in the UFC. His upcoming co-main event bout against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines presents a significant opportunity, as a victory could propel him closer to a shot at the title.
Holding a 2-0 record within the organization and previously being a two-division champion in ONE Championship, de Ridder is set to face one of the sport`s most promising prospects. He believes that defeating Nickal could benefit his career arguably more than overcoming a higher-ranked opponent. While de Ridder acknowledges that a single win won`t necessarily secure him a title challenge immediately, he anticipates that overcoming Nickal will position him among the top contenders vying for the chance to face the eventual victor of the middleweight championship clash between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
De Ridder confirmed his title aspirations, noting that many fighters at the top of the division have already competed against one another. He stated, “If I can do this [beat Nickal] the right way, choke him out early, I think I have something to say at least,” indicating that a decisive performance would bolster his case.
As a middleweight steadily climbing the ranks, de Ridder has a keen interest in the future title confrontation between du Plessis and Chimaev, which is currently planned for 2025, with the specific date yet to be determined.
Beyond merely observing as a potential future challenger, de Ridder has personal experience, having trained with both du Plessis and Chimaev in the past. This gives him additional insight into how their expected matchup might unfold.
“I`ve had some experience with both of the guys. I`ve trained with both of them,” de Ridder shared. He speculated that, particularly in a five-round contest, Chimaev is likely to start aggressively and immediately pursue takedowns. However, he pointed out that Dricus “is not that easy to take down” and possesses good movement and footwork, allowing him to escape positions effectively, despite his sometimes unorthodox style.
De Ridder expressed skepticism about Chimaev securing an immediate takedown or finishing Dricus with a choke in the opening round.
He predicted that if Chimaev fails to achieve an early finish, Dricus du Plessis will increasingly take control as the fight progresses.
“Every round he doesn`t choke him out is going to get worse for him,” de Ridder remarked concerning Chimaev`s potential difficulties. He highlighted Dricus`s unconventional fighting approach and powerful striking (“heavy hands”) as factors that could make the fight challenging for Khamzat.
Since his arrival in the UFC, du Plessis has consistently managed to catch opponents off guard, even without employing conventional techniques.
De Ridder believes that Dricus`s unpredictable style, while sometimes appearing awkward, is precisely what makes him a tough opponent, as it`s difficult to anticipate his next move.
“He keeps going,” de Ridder commented, praising Dricus`s notable endurance and explosiveness, even when appearing fatigued and technically messy. De Ridder leans towards Du Plessis winning but also acknowledged Chimaev`s potential, concluding, “But I think Dricus has a good chance.”
Years before both fighters reached the UFC, de Ridder was actually in the same regional promotion as du Plessis, though they never competed against each other. They later trained together, and de Ridder spoke highly of his time working with Dricus, affirming that his respect wouldn`t deter him from pursuing the UFC middleweight title currently held by Du Plessis.
“Dricus is a good dude, too, by the way,” de Ridder added, mentioning that his ability to understand Afrikaans facilitates communication with Dricus. He described Dricus as similar to his fighting style—energetic and somewhat unpredictable (“all over the place, ADHD”)—yet also very kind and friendly. De Ridder views a potential future fight against Dricus as an appealing possibility.
