Reinier de Ridder went on fairly a rollercoaster journey when he was employed at ONE Championship.
Competing throughout two divisions, the fighter previously generally known as “The Dutch Knight” captured titles at each middleweight and lightweight heavyweight whereas remaining undefeated in his profession. He ultimately misplaced each belts in back-to-back fights in opposition to Anatoly Malykhin, however de Ridder was greater than prepared to start his climb up the ranks once more when he hit a brick wall.
ONE immediately stopped reserving him in fights and weeks became months when it got here to a irritating stage of inactivity. He lastly broke freed from the promotion and signed with the UFC earlier than issuing a warning to some other fighter who would possibly think about signing with ONE.
On Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, de Ridder shares a card with one other former ONE fighter when Marcus Buchecha makes his octagon debut after he endured a equally irritating run there. Whereas he definitely doesn’t want anyone ailing will, de Ridder can’t assist however acknowledge the seemingly perilous scenario at ONE proper now.
“It’s searching for good for us however not wanting good for ONE in the meanwhile,” de Ridder advised MMA Combating. “Sadly you’re proper however we’ll see how they bounce again hopefully however I’m unsure.
“With Buchecha, [we’ve] been placing in loads of work collectively as nicely right here in Florida. It is going to be cool to share a card with him. So blissful for that man that he’s lastly free as nicely, lastly in a position to get fights, too.”
Whereas ONE has been closely selling Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts, most of the high MMA fighters have been sidelined for months at a time. Buchecha received so annoyed that he truly contemplated retirement earlier than his contract expired and he signed with UFC.
For his half, de Ridder didn’t battle in any respect in 2023 earlier than a single look in ONE in 2024 previous to the tip of his contract. He competed as soon as at a UAE Warriors present in Abu Dhabi earlier than signing with the UFC and the promotion has saved him loads busy since then.
On Saturday, de Ridder faces Robert Whittaker in the primary occasion at UFC Abu Dhabi, which serves as his fourth battle with the promotion in simply eight months. He wished exercise and de Ridder received it from the UFC.
“Watch out what you want for possibly,” de Ridder stated with a smile. “As a result of that’s what I’ve been asking for years is exercise and I’m getting exercise. That is going to be my fifth battle in a yr. After I battle will probably be precisely one yr since I fought for UAE Warriors right here in Abu Dhabi.
“All of it got here collectively in a short time however I’ve been settling down in Florida extra so I discovered a home, I discovered a spot to remain full time. My children are going to go to highschool there so I’m considering of doing extra exercise subsequent yr as nicely.”
Uprooting his household to relocate full time to Florida the place he trains with the fighters and coaches at Kill Cliff FC is a really massive deal however a essential change for de Ridder. Being away from his spouse and children might be the toughest half about back-to-back coaching camps, which he’s been doing continuous for the previous yr.
Shifting his household to Florida whereas he’s coaching close by is the very best scenario as de Ridder chases UFC gold.
“It’s a really massive dedication,” de Ridder stated. “It’s a really massive deal. As a result of they’re studying the language and all the pieces that comes with it. I’m asking loads of them but it surely’s additionally a really cool factor to have the ability to supply them this expertise however I find it irresistible at Kill Cliff.
“It’s so good. A room filled with killers twice a day and it simply makes all the pieces coaching smart a lot simpler. I can simply present up and go loopy for nevertheless many hours. It’s beautiful. I actually prefer it there.”
With hopes that a powerful win leads him to a title shot, de Ridder doesn’t plan on slowing down any time quickly.
Identical to all his fights so far within the UFC, de Ridder is ready for a conflict however up to now no one has been in a position to survive three rounds with him. This time, de Ridder has 5 rounds to work however ideally, he’d wish to get Whittaker out of there lengthy earlier than the ultimate horn sounds.
“I see myself placing stress on him, hitting him with some good pictures,” de Ridder stated about his prediction for the battle. “Photographs from the skin, getting shut, possibly hitting him with some great things in shut vary, taking him down and choking him out.
“I’ve been scheduled for lots of five-round fights already [in my career]. It’s not one thing that I actually fear about however hopefully I can put him away early.”
