Reinier de Ridder
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Tilburg, Netherlands
| Reinier de Ridder | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 De Ridder training in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 7, 1990 Tilburg, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||
| Other names | The Dutch Knight | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | |||||||||||||||||
| Division | Cruiserweight[a] Light Heavyweight[b] (2013, 2019–2024) Middleweight[c] (2017–2018, 2024–present) | |||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 79 in (201 cm) | |||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Breda, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | Combat Brothers | |||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Black belt in Judo[1] Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2] | |||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2013–present | |||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 25 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 21 | |||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | ||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Reinier de Ridder[3] (born September 7, 1990), also known by his initials RdR, is a Dutch professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He previously competed in ONE Championship, where he is a former ONE Middleweight World Champion and ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion. De Ridder was the third two-division champion in ONE history, having previously held the middleweight and light heavyweight belts simultaneously. As of October 21, 2025, he is #8 in the UFC middleweight rankings.[4]
Reinier de Ridder started with Judo at the age of six and earned a black belt in his teens. After high school he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while attending college and became a black belt. He also owns a physical therapy clinic in Breda, combining his working hours with his training hours.[5][6][7]
Grappling career
De Ridder won a silver medal at the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2016.[5]
De Ridder returned to submission grappling competition at ONE X on March 26, 2022 against André Galvão.[8] The match went the distance and as the promotion did not use judges for their submission grappling matches at the time, it was declared a draw.[9]
De Ridder faced Tye Ruotolo in a submission grappling superfight at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, 2023.[10] He lost the match by a close decision.[11]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
De Ridder had his first amateur fight in 2013, winning by first round submission, before making his professional MMA debut later that year, winning with a first round triangle choke. Reinier went on a seven fight winning streak with all the fights ending with stoppages. After this winning streak, Reinier got the opportunity to fight for his the Middleweight belt in HIT FC, which he won by first round rear-naked choke. After winning his next bout in under two minutes, Reinier got offers from the UFC and ONE FC, deciding to go with the latter due to better terms.[5]
ONE Championship
De Ridder made his ONE debut at ONE: Hero's Ascent on January 25, 2019 against Fan Rong, in a fight which he won by a first round submission. He would then face Gilberto Galvao at ONE: Legendary Quest, knocking out Galvao in the second round with knees, and former title contender Leandro Ataides at ONE: Warrior's Code, in which he won a hard fought decision.
ONE Middleweight Champion
De Ridder faced Aung La Nsang for the ONE Middleweight World Championship at ONE: Inside the Matrix on October 30, 2020.[12][13] He won the bout by submission in the first round, becoming the champion.[14]
Double champion
After Vitaly Bigdash tested positive for COVID-19, De Ridder stepped in for a rematch against Aung La Nsang for the ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship at ONE on TNT 4 on April 28, 2021.[15][16] He won the fight by unanimous decision to become the new ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion,[17] and the third simultaneous two-division champion in ONE history.
In the first middleweight title defense, De Ridder faced Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE: Full Circle on February 25, 2022.[18] After applying an arm-triangle choke at the end of the second round that forced Abbasov to tap after the bell, De Ridder ultimately won with the same submission in the third round.[19] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[20]
De Ridder faced former multiple-time ADCC and BJJ world champion André Galvão in a grappling match at ONE: X on March 26, 2022.[21][22] They grappled to a draw after 12 minutes since neither could find the submission.[23]
De Ridder made his the second title defense against former champion Vitaly Bigdash on July 22, 2022 at ONE 159.[24] After surviving an early guillotine from Bigdash, Reiner choked him out with an inverted triangle choke in the first round.[25] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[26]
De Ridder was scheduled to defend the middleweight title against Shamil Abdulaev at ONE on Prime Video 3 on October 22, 2022.[27] However, Abdulaev withdrew due to not being medically cleared and the bout was cancelled.[28]
De Ridder faced Anatoly Malykhin to defend his light heavyweight title on December 3, 2022, at ONE on Prime Video 5.[29] He suffered his first career loss after getting knocked out in the first round.[30]
A rematch between De Ridder and Malykhin for the ONE Middleweight World Championship took place on March 1, 2024, at ONE 166.[31] He lost the title via technical knockout in round three.[32]
Post ONE
After parting with the promotion, De Ridder faced Magomedmurad Khasaev on July 27, 2024 at UAE Warriors 51.[33] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On September 24, 2024, it was announced that De Ridder had signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[34]
De Ridder faced Gerald Meerschaert on November 9, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 247.[35] He won the fight via an arm-triangle choke submission in the third round.[36]
De Ridder faced Kevin Holland on January 18, 2025, at UFC 311.[37] He won the fight via a rear naked choke submission in the first round.[38]
De Ridder faced three-time NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling champion Bo Nickal on May 3, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 67.[39] He won via technical knockout in the second round due to a knee to the body, becoming the first fighter to beat Nickal in mixed martial arts.[40] This fight earned him his first UFC Performance of the Night award.[41]
De Ridder faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker in the main event on July 26, 2025 at UFC on ABC 9.[42] He won the fight by split decision.[43] 9 out of 16 media outlets scored the bout for De Ridder.[44]
De Ridder was scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 262 on October 18, 2025.[45] However, Hernandez was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury and was replaced by Brendan Allen.[46] De Ridder lost the bout via technical knockout at the end of the fourth round, after he was unable to continue.[47]
De Ridder faced Caio Borralho on March 7, 2026 at UFC 326.[48] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[49]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Bo Nickal[41]
- ONE Championship
- ONE Middleweight World Championship (One time)
- Two successful defenses
- ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship (One time)
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Kiamrian Abbasov and Vitaly Bigdash[20][26]
- Submission of the Night (against Fan Rong at ONE Championship: Hero's Ascent)
- Fight of the Night (against Leandro Ataides at ONE Championship: Warrior's Code)
- Third double champion in ONE history
- 2020: Submission of the Year vs. Aung La Nsang
- 2022: Submission of the Year vs. Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159[50]
- 2024: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year vs. Anatoly Malykhin[51]
- ONE Middleweight World Championship (One time)
- HIT Fighting Championship
- HIT Middleweight Championship (One time)
- 360 Promotion
- 360 Middleweight Championship (One time)
- MMA Fighting
- 2025 Second Team MMA All-Star[52]
Mixed martial arts record
| 25 matches | 21 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 3 |
| By submission | 13 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 21–4 | Caio Borralho | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 326 | March 7, 2026 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 21–3 | Brendan Allen | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs. Allen | October 18, 2025 | 4 | 5:00 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 21–2 | Robert Whittaker | Decision (split) | UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder | July 26, 2025 | 5 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 20–2 | Bo Nickal | TKO (knee to the body) | UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo | May 3, 2025 | 2 | 1:53 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 19–2 | Kevin Holland | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 311 | January 18, 2025 | 1 | 3:31 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 18–2 | Gerald Meerschaert | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates | November 9, 2024 | 3 | 1:44 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Middleweight. |
| Win | 17–2 | Magomedmurad Khasaev | TKO (punches) | UAE Warriors 51 | July 27, 2024 | 1 | 2:24 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 16–2 | Anatoly Malykhin | TKO (retirement) | ONE 166 | March 1, 2024 | 3 | 1:16 | Lusail, Qatar | Lost the ONE Middleweight Championship (205 lb). |
| Loss | 16–1 | Anatoly Malykhin | KO (punches) | ONE on Prime Video 5 | December 3, 2022 | 1 | 4:35 | Pasay, Philippines | Lost the ONE Light Heavyweight Championship (225 lb). |
| Win | 16–0 | Vitaly Bigdash | Technical Submission (inverted triangle choke) | ONE 159 | July 22, 2022 | 1 | 3:29 | Kallang, Singapore | Defended the ONE Middleweight Championship (205 lb). Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 15–0 | Kiamrian Abbasov | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | ONE: Full Circle | February 25, 2022 | 3 | 0:57 | Kallang, Singapore | Defended the ONE Middleweight Championship (205 lb). Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–0 | Aung La Nsang | Decision (unanimous) | ONE on TNT 4 | April 28, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Kallang, Singapore | Won the ONE Light Heavyweight Championship (225 lb). |
| Win | 13–0 | Aung La Nsang | Submission (rear-naked choke) | ONE: Inside the Matrix | October 30, 2020 | 1 | 3:26 | Kallang, Singapore | Won the ONE Middleweight Championship (205 lb). |
| Win | 12–0 | Leandro Ataides | Decision (unanimous) | ONE: Warrior's Code | February 7, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Jakarta, Indonesia | |
| Win | 11–0 | Gilberto Galvão | KO (knees) | ONE: Legendary Quest | June 15, 2019 | 2 | 0:57 | Shanghai, China | |
| Win | 10–0 | Fan Rong | Technical Submission (brabo choke) | ONE: Hero's Ascent | January 25, 2019 | 1 | 1:15 | Pasay, Philippines | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Win | 9–0 | Warren Allison | Submission (rear-naked choke) | EFC 67 | March 10, 2018 | 1 | 2:00 | Johannesburg, South Africa | |
| Win | 8–0 | Shota Gvasalia | Submission (rear-naked choke) | HIT-FC 4 | October 21, 2017 | 1 | 3:55 | Horgen, Switzerland | Won the HIT Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–0 | Jaouad Ikan | Submission (armbar) | World Fighting League MMA 1 | May 27, 2017 | 1 | N/A | Almere, Netherlands | |
| Win | 6–0 | Lamine Talbi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 360 Promotion: Volition | April 8, 2017 | 3 | 0:41 | Walloon Brabant, Belgium | Won the vacant 360 Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Markus Prödl | TKO (punches) | Superior FC 16 | March 11, 2017 | 2 | 0:51 | Darmstadt, Germany | Middleweight debut. |
| Win | 4–0 | Alexander Heinrich | TKO (knees and punches) | Superior FC 15 | October 29, 2016 | 1 | 4:52 | Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany | |
| Win | 3–0 | Michaelis Efstratiou | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Superior FC 14 | May 21, 2016 | 1 | 1:32 | Düren, Germany | |
| Win | 2–0 | Rene Hoppe | Submission (armbar) | Rostocker & Benefiz: 2 in 1 Fight Night | October 10, 2015 | 2 | 1:54 | Rostock, Germany | |
| Win | 1–0 | Marco Wuest | Submission (triangle choke) | Gladiator FC 2 | June 1, 2013 | 1 | 4:09 | Lauda-Königshofen, Germany | Light Heavyweight debut. |
Submission grappling record
| Result | Rec. | Opponent | Method | Event | Division | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1–1 | Tye Ruotolo | Decision (unanimous) | ONE Fight Night 10 | Middleweight | May 5, 2023 |  Broomfield, Colorado, United States |
| Draw | 0–0–1 | André Galvão | Draw (time limit) | ONE: X | Superfight | March 26, 2022 |  Kallang, Singapore |
