Reinier de Ridder recently received attention after his statement about the upcoming fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, set to head UFC 319. De Ridder, who comes out of a victory over Robert Whittaker last week, has weighed both who he expects to win and whom he hopes to win and who is Victoric.
Right of knight on Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus van Plessis
Reinier de Ridder’s comment comes at a time when his own career path is remarkable in the middleweight Divsion of the UFC. His transition to the UFC and recent climb through the ranks has attracted a lot of attention. After a series of impressive versions, the newest victory of the Ridder on Whittaker positioned him as an important competition within the middleweight division. His grab-heavy style has been one of his most important strengths.
The UFC 319 Middleweight championship between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev is set on August 16, 2025 in the United Center in Chicago. Chimaev, the challenger, brings an unbeaten record from 14-0 to the game. Since he came to the UFC in 2020, Chimaev has built up a reputation for fast, dominant victories, including a record line of victories for ten days.
In a recent interview, about the upcoming title competition, Reinier de Ridder explained:
“Khamzat is of course – I think that if Khamzat wins, especially if he wins decisively, he will be like a huge name. That could come up with him who then releases a lot of time. So it might be better if Dricus wins, and then we can fight in four to six months. That would be best, I think.”
De Ridder suggested that a victory from Chimaev could result in delays in title defense due to potential leisure time, while a victory by Du Plessis could set up a more direct way to a title match for himself. De Ridder is currently ready to challenge the middleweight belt when the circumstances are connected, with his reputation and recent versions, making him a strong candidate for a title shot.
UFC 319
This fight marks the third title defense of Du Plessis since he claims the belt in January 2024, when he defeated Sean Strickland by a split decision to become the first UFC champion of South Africa. After that victory, Du Plessis successfully defended his belt against Israel Adesanya through the entry in August 2024, where he handed the old champion his first loss of the entry of the career. In February 2025, Du Plessis achieved a unanimous decision victory in a rematch with Strickland, which further confirmed its position on top of the division. Du Plessis starts UFC 319 with a professional record of 23 wins and 2 losses, and he is currently driving a win of eleven fighting.
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