Reinier de Ridder

Reinier de Ridder is a Dutch mixed martial artist from Tilburg who competes for the UFC. As of September 29, 2026, the UFC lists him as an active light heavyweight and records his Octagon debut as November 9, 2024. He began his UFC career at middleweight before moving to light heavyweight in 2026, a change he described as motivated partly by the difficulty of making the middleweight limit. The UFC also lists American Top Team as his current training camp and jiu-jitsu as his fighting style.

Before joining the UFC, de Ridder built his reputation in ONE Championship, where he won championship titles at middleweight and light heavyweight and became one of the promotion’s two-division champions. He made his professional MMA debut in 2013 and later signed with the UFC in September 2024 after competing for ONE and UAE Warriors. His approach is centered on closing distance, using judo and grappling fundamentals to take opponents down, establish control and pursue submissions, although his UFC career has also included notable striking finishes. The UFC lists his height as 6 feet 4 inches, his birthplace as Tilburg, Netherlands, and his date of birth as September 7, 1990.