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Reinier de Ridder was able to become the third double champion in ONE Championship history in 2021 as he defeated Aung La Nsang to claim the light heavyweight at ONE on TNT 4. He had claimed the middleweight title off the same opponent at ONE: Inside the Matrix the previous year.
While 'The Dutch Knight' defended the middleweight title twice, he lost the light heavyweight belt to Anatoly Malykhin in his first title defense in 2022. He lost to the same opponent earlier this year, losing his middleweight title as well.
After leaving the promotion and getting back in the win column at UAE Warriors 51 in July, de Ridder is reportedly set to join the UFC.
UFC Roster Tracker was the first to break the news, tweeting:
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"✅ Fighter added: Reinier de Ridder"
Check out the tweet from UFC Roster Tracker below:
Fans expressed their excitement at the latest addition to the UFC roster. @TerraGroupCEO labeled the move as amazing:
"Holy f**k, this is amazing"
@avill2022 believed the addition will be good for the middleweight division:
"Big name for the division"
@watch_roster_EX shared some more information regarding the move:
"17-2 LHW with no fight officially announced. 15 finishes including 12 submissions. Former ONE Championship LHW champion. Also has wins in UAE Warriors, EFC, and other smaller promotions."
@FatCraigKimbrel suggested that ONE Championship no longer cares about mixed martial arts:
"Man ONE really stopped caring about MMA entirely huh"
Check out the best fan reactions to Reinier de Ridder joining the UFC below:
Reinier de Ridder will likely look to be fast tracked in the middleweight division
Reinier de Ridder did not make his professional MMA debut until three months before his 23rd birthday. He was able to rattle off nine consecutive wins - seven via submission and two via TKO - on the regional scene before earning a contract with ONE Championship in 2018. 'The Dutch Knight' reportedly was also offered a UFC contract, however, opted to sign with the former due to better terms.
After making his ONE debut in 2019, he picked up three consecutive wins - one via submission, one via knockout and one via decision - to earn a middleweight title opportunity against Aung La Nsang. He captured the belt via first-round submission before defeating La Nsang via unanimous decision to claim the light heavyweight title six months later.
De Ridder picked up two consecutive submission victories to defend the middleweight title before losing the light heavyweight belt to Anatoly Malykhin via first-round knockout in 2022. He returned in March and lost the middleweight title to the same opponent via third-round TKO. After parting ways with the promotion and picking up a first-round TKO victory at UAE Warriors, he will now reportedly join the UFC.
The former ONE Championship double champ will likely look to be fast tracked as he is now 34 years old. While his opponent for his UFC debut has not been announced, he could very well receive a ranked matchup as has been the case fighters who have joined the UFC with some starpower in the past.
