Number five UFC Middleweight contender Reiner de Ridder was recently announced by UFC president Dana White as one of of the main event against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez on October 4th at UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs Hernandez in Vancouver, scheduled for Saturday, October 18th.
De Ridder entered the promotion as a former two-division champion in ONE Championship. His name became known among casual fans after a first-round victory over UFC golden boy Bo Nickal, via body knees and punches. He solidified himself as a serious contender in the division with a five-round decision win over former champion Robert Whittaker.
Dana White has alluded to the fact that an impressive performance in this upcoming bout could result in a title shot against the newly crowned middleweight king, Khamzat Chimaev.
Reinier de Ridder also had the opportunity to discuss this potential matchup with fellow UFC fighters Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, who collectively hold three UFC belts and an Olympic gold medal between them.
Reinier de Ridder on possible khamzat Chimaev fight
While appearing as a guest on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Reinier de Ridder spoke about the title fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis (DDP) at UFC 319. He explained the different opportunities he noticed during the bout—openings he believed he could exploit if he were in that position being wrestled. Henry Cejudo pointed out that Reinier trains out of a large camp and with one of the best grapplers in the world, Craig Jones.
“I could do stuff that he was not able to do—take him down, put him on his back, got to hurt him. There’s not an area that’s going to be bad for me. Khamzat is very good, but I see those kinds of holes and weaknesses. They’re exploitable, and I think I’m the type of fighter that brings something different. I’m an all-around guy.”
Coming off a dominant first-round victory in the cage over who many believed to be Khamzat’s biggest challenge on the ground—multiple-time All-American wrestler and NCAA champion Bo Nicka. Reinier de Ridder believes his style matches up well against the current champion.
“There’s not an area we can go to in the fight that would be bad for me.”
However, Reinier de Ridder must first get through “Fluffy,” who is riding an eight-fight win streak. It’s shaping up to be a must-watch fight with major title implications for the near future.
