Reinier de Ridder hints at improved striking in potential MMA return

Having last competed in MMA over six months ago, Reinier de Ridder has been putting work in the gym to make sure that when he does return, he is better than ever.

When he stepped back inside the circle at ONE Fight Night 10 in Broomfield, Colorado, this past May, de Ridder put his grappling skills to the test in a matchup with Tye Ruotolo.

Though he lost via decision on the night, there’s no doubt that ‘The Dutch Knight’ is one of the very best grapplers in MMA right now, proving that he can hang with one of the top no-gi competitors on the planet.

At ONE on Prime Video 5 in December last year, de Ridder was defeated in MMA for the very first time, losing his light heavyweight world championship to Anatoly Malykhin.

That evening, the Dutchman was forced to stand and strike with the undefeated powerhouse after failing to take his much larger opponent down, eventually being finished just seconds before the end of the opening round.

It’s no secret where de Ridder’s strongest area in MMA is but he is still evolving as a fighter and looking to round out his overall game to make him dangerous wherever the fight plays out.

As he prepares to return to competition and defend his ONE middleweight world championship, Reiner de Ridder said that his striking has been the main focus of his training in recent months during an interview with the South China Morning Post.

He said:

“To be honest, I've really changed a lot of stuff in the way I prepare, my boxing and kickboxing stuff, I've been working on that part of my game a lot more. I believe I can beat anybody in the world and this is a big challenge.”

Watch the full interview below: