"Investigate this fight" - MMA world reacts to ex-ONE champion Reinier de Ridder's "sloppy" debut against Gerald Meerschaert

Reinier de Ridder’s UFC debut against Gerald Meerschaert was a hard-fought battle that culminated in a late submission win despite some criticism from the MMA community. The former ONE Championship two-weight champion faced a tough test against the seasoned UFC veteran.

The fight kicked off with explosive energy as de Ridder landed a left hook that sent Meerschaert to the canvas in the final seconds of the first round. However, it was in the second frame where the two displayed a back-and-forth grappling battle, with their respective ground games nullifying each other. The fight featured high-level scrambles as both fighters worked relentlessly for control.

In the third round, de Ridder’s persistence paid off. After taking Meerschaert to the canvas early in the round, he latched onto an arm-triangle choke that forced the tap at the 1:44 mark, securing the 12th submission victory of his professional career. The win marked de Ridder’s debut success in the UFC, pushing his overall record to 18-2 with 16 finishes.

However, fans and analysts were quick to note some of the unpolished moments from the fight, with many calling his performance “sloppy." Alex Behunin wrote:

"That was sloppy as fu*k but fun as fu*k to watch ahaha. RDR taps GM3."

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad wrote:

"Gerald’s better than this guy."

Former UFC bantamweight contender Saidyokub Kakhramonov called for an investigation, asserting that Meerschaert "definitely sold" the finish:

"Please investigate this fight GM3 definitely sold this one. No way this was a real fight."

Check out some of the reactions to Reinier de Ridder's victory against Gerald Meerschaert below:

MMA community reacts to Reinier de Ridder's victory against Gerald Meerschaert. [Images via X]

Following the win, 'The Dutch Knight' called his shot for a quick turnaround to compete at the upcoming UFC 309 card. The pay-per-view event, which is set to be headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, will take place on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.