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After enduring a tumultuous stint with ONE Championship, Reinier de Ridder has found new life in the UFC, and he isn't holding back about his experiences with his former promotion. Despite his double-champ success in ONE, "The Dutch Knight" has finally lifted the veil on his less-than-amicable departure, issuing a stern warning to fighters considering signing with the organization.
In a candid post-fight interview after UFC Vegas 100, de Ridder said plainly:
"If you’re thinking of signing with ONE Championship, don’t. It’s that simple. There’s no fights, there’s nothing there. You’re making a bad mistake if you choose them.”
The Dutch grappler is still dealing with the fallout from his time with the Singapore-based promotion.
De Ridder’s frustration seems rooted in a lack of activity during his last years with ONE. While he was incredibly active in 2022, fighting three times, his momentum came to a screeching halt in 2023, when he didn’t compete in a single MMA bout. Instead, he was limited to a grappling match against Tye Ruotolo. It wasn’t until early 2024, following a loss to Anatoly Malykhin and a one-off appearance in UAE Warriors, that he finally transitioned to the UFC.
Reflecting on those years, de Ridder confessed,
“It’s been a bad couple of years — the stress it put on me, my family, just trying to get fights. Initially, they treated me well, but it’s been really bad lately.”
Despite the harsh critique, he did acknowledge a single highlight from his time there — the glitter-filled post-fight celebrations.
“Yeah, I miss that a bit,” he chuckled. “It looked cool. But everything else [in ONE] is shit.”
Now, with his ONE days behind him, de Ridder is focusing on making waves in the UFC’s middleweight division. Fresh off a submission victory over Gerald Meerschaert, he’s already eyeing top-tier competition. Reflecting on his performance, de Ridder noted,
“On the ground, I made a few mistakes, especially in the second round with those D’arce chokes. I thought I had them, but they weren’t there. Still, I’m happy the fight played out as it did.”
The Dutch grappler’s sights are set on bigger challenges now, and he’s not looking to take it easy. When asked who he’d like to face next, de Ridder didn’t hesitate:
“Why not Khamzat [Chimaev]? That would be a great matchup, especially grappling-wise.”
For de Ridder, staying active is key, especially after his frustrations with ONE’s scheduling.
“Whatever the UFC wants of me, I’ll do it,” he declared. “Just give me a call. I’m ready.”
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