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BIOGRAPHY
Reinier de Ridder is a highly skilled mixed martial artist hailing from the Netherlands. Born on September 7, 1990, Reinier has carved a significant track in the international arena, where he is currently competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His accomplishments are extensive; he was previously a dominant force in ONE Championship where he earned the titles of ONE Middleweight World Champion and ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion. In the annals of ONE history, he distinguished himself as the third double-champion, demonstrating his prowess by simultaneously holding the titles of middleweight and light heavyweight.
Reinier’s journey into martial arts started at a tender age of six when he began training judo, earning a black belt in his teens. Around the same time, he was also engaged in wrestling, competing in his high school team, and eventually winning a title for his weight class. Following high school, his martial arts venture continued as he began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu while attending college, ultimately earning a black belt. Balancing his sporting interests and occupation, Reinier owns a physical therapy clinic in Breda, skillfully combining his work and training hours.
In 2016, Reinier brought home a silver medal from the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship. He returned to the submission grappling competition at ONE X on March 26, 2022, competing against André Galvão. The match stretched the full distance and, due to the promotion’s policy of not using judges for submission grappling matches, the match resolved as a draw. Next, on May 5, 2023, Reinier faced Tye Ruotolo in a submission grappling superfight at ONE Fight Night 10. He lost the match, but the decision was a close call.
Reinier’s first journey into the world of MMA was his amateur fight in 2013, ending with a victorious first-round submission. He then made his professional MMA debut the same year, winning with a first-round triangle choke. As the battles continued, Reinier enjoyed a seven-fight winning streak with all stoppages. Following this winning streak, Reinier got a chance to fight for the Middleweight belt in HIT FC, which he achieved by a first-round rear-naked choke. After winning his next bout in less than two minutes, Reinier received offers from UFC and ONE FC. He ultimately signed on with ONE FC, citing superior terms.
In January 2019, Reinier made an impressive ONE debut at ONE: Hero’s Ascent against Fan Rong, culminating in a first-round submission victory. Other significant fights include a match against Gilberto Galvao, where he emerged victorious with a second-round knockout using knees, and against former title contender Leandro Ataides, which he claimed after a hard-fought decision. The pinnacle of his ONE Championship career came on October 30, 2020, where he battled Aung La Nsang for the ONE Middleweight World Championship, winning the bout by submission in the first round, elevating him to the status of champion.
When fighter Vitaly Bigdash tested positive for COVID-19, Reinier stepped up for a rematch against Aung La Nsang for the ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship at ONE on TNT 4 on April 28, 2021. Demonstrating his skill and precision, he won the fight by unanimous decision, thus securing the ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship. This victory made him the third two-divisional champion in ONE history.
In his first title defense as Middleweight champion, De Ridder battled Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE: Full Circle on February 25, 2022. He used his skills to apply an arm triangle choke, which forced Abbasov to tap. De Ridder went on to win the titles with the same submission in the third round, earning him the Performance of the Night award. He later had a grappling match with André Galvão at ONE: X on March 26, 2022. After 12 minutes of grappling, neither party could find the submission and therefore the match concluded as a draw.
Reinier’s second title defense was against former champion Vitaly Bigdash on July 22, 2022, at ONE 159. After an early guillotine scare from Bigdash, Reinier bounced back, executing an inverted triangle choke in the first round, guaranteeing him the Performance of the Night award. His next challenge was to defend his middleweight title against Shamil Abdulaev at ONE on Prime Video 3 on October 22, 2022. However, the bout was cancelled as Abdulaev was not medically cleared.
On December 3, De Ridder faced Anatoly Malykhin to protect his light heavyweight title at ONE on Prime Video 5. This fight, however, did not go in his favor as his flawless winning run met a bump, resulting in his first career loss after getting knocked out in the first round.
Following his transition from the promotion, Reinier took on Magomedmurad Khasaev on July 27, 2024, at UAE Warriors 51. He emerged victorious, with a TKO in the first round. On September 24, 2024, it was announced that De Ridder had signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His first test in the UFC ring will be against Gerald Meerschaert, scheduled for November 9, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 247. Despite the ups and downs, Reinier de Ridder continues to be a symbol of determination and skill in the world of mixed martial arts.