In the tight race to see which top contender will get the next shot at the middleweight title, former ONE Championship double belt holder Reinier de Ridder aims to make himself the next undeniable man in line.
Reinier de Ridder Proven to be Force at 185 in UFC
Reinier de Ridder steps into his second straight UFC main event and takes his talent to Vancouver for this week’s UFC Fight Night. Facing him in the Octagon is middleweight standout Brendan Allen, who is coming off a stunning win over Marvin Vettori.
Reinier de Ridder rose to prominence on the world stage during his days at ONE, quickly rising up the rankings and scoring their middleweight title in just his fourth fight in the company. He then achieved even more greatness by toppling Aung La N Sang to achieve the light heavyweight throne and become the third two-weight champion in ONE history.
When Reinier de Ridder joined the UFC in late 2024, he almost immediately cemented his place as one of the middleweight division’s top competitors, posting four straight wins over Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, Bo Nickal and most recently Robert Whittaker. His victory at the previous gold standard of 185 pounds moved ‘The Dutch Knight’ into the top four of his weight class, just a stone’s throw away from current top man Khamzat Chimaev.
Reinier de Ridder can earn title opportunities, but is not the only one in conversation
When he scored a close but astonishing unanimous decision over the aforementioned Whittaker in July, Reinier de Ridder moved closer and closer to the head of the pack in his weight category. However, as the summer progressed, several other notable names emerged as likely options to combat the dominant Chechens.
After a first-round knockout against Kevin Holland more than five years ago, Anthony Hernandez has posted one of the longest winning streaks in middleweight with eight in a row with six stoppages. Originally intended to throw down “Fluffy” this weekend in Canada with the Knight due to an injury.
Nassourdine Imavov dropped a unanimous decision to future middleweight champion Sean Strickland in 2023 and started a warpath through some of the division’s best players. Five straight wins like Jared Cannonier, Caio Borralho and Israel Adesanya.
With the championship becoming increasingly competitive, Reinier de Ridder will have to make a statement in his upcoming match with Allen. With the coveted UFC title almost within his grasp, the Dutch star can cement his place in the annals of the sport if he manages to hoist organizational gold above his head.
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