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Reinier de Ridder, former two-division champion at ONE Championship, is stepping into a new chapter of his career after signing with the UFC. Despite an illustrious run in ONE, de Ridder admits that the attention he’s received since signing with UFC far surpasses anything he experienced as a two-time titleholder in ONE.
Reflecting on his time at ONE, de Ridder says he is grateful for the opportunities that allowed him to fight full-time, but the last few years were tough.
“It’s been good for a long time and it’s been bad for a pretty long time now as well,” he shared, recognizing that it was time for a fresh start.
The move to UFC represents a dream come true for de Ridder.
“Every fighter wants to fight in the UFC. Every fan wants to watch UFC. It’s been asked a lot of times over the years so it’s very cool to finally be there,” de Ridder said.
For him, the UFC is the pinnacle of MMA, and the new weight regulations and drug testing standards in the UFC were also motivating factors for his transition. One of the biggest surprises for de Ridder has been the overwhelming attention that accompanied his UFC signing.
“I went from unranked to title challenger to two-division champion and it always got some traction... But now I just started all over again [in UFC] and it’s a bigger deal than becoming a two-division champion. It’s funny,” he remarked.
As he prepares for his debut fight against Gerald Meerschaert on Nov. 9, de Ridder is embracing the moment and focusing on his UFC journey. Grateful for his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, de Ridder is ready to dive back into the action.
"Ali is working his magic... I’m very, very grateful for this.”
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