The UFC middleweight division just got an eyebrow-raising addition.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion has appeared more willing to sign high-profile names who established themselves under the banners of other organizations in recent times.
Notably, the UFC has added Michael “Venom” Page, Kai Asakura, and Kayla Harrison to its roster. Now joining them is Reinier de Ridder, a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder who became a free agent earlier this year.
After reports of his arrival, “The Dutch Knight” confirmed that he is UFC bound in a video on his Instagram account.
De Ridder (17-2) recorded his final ONE win in July 2022 when he submitted Vitaly Bigdash with an inverted triangle choke. The result was a successful defense of his middleweight (205 pounds) belt, which he held alongside the promotion’s light heavyweight championship (225 pounds).
But the Dutchman had his then-perfect record blemished and both of his titles ripped away in a two-fight series with Anatoly Malykhin, who now holds three pieces of gold in ONE.
The 34-year-old parted ways with ONE following his March loss to the Russian, competing once since. De Ridder returned to winning ways with a knockout victory over Magomedmurad Khasaev at UAE Warriors 51 this past July.
He’ll now look to continue his momentum inside the Octagon, where he’s expected to make a splash at 185 pounds.
Fans React To Reinier de Ridder’s UFC Signing
Unsurprisingly, the news of the UFC’s latest high-profile signing drew immediate reactions from the MMA community on social media.
The fanbase appeared split, with some backing de Ridder for immediate success and others suggesting that the Breda, Netherlands native has arrived in the sport’s leading promotion too late in his career.
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