“The Dutch Knight” Reinier de Ridder has walked away from ONE Championship, where he was once a two-division world champion in MMA. Reportedly, he will compete at UAE Warriors scheduled for Jul 27.
Reinier de Ridder
The Dutch grappler was once a shining feature of the organization, being an undefeated MMA fighter holding two titles. His middleweight and light heavyweight crowns were earned with victories against Aung La Nsang. He would later defend these world titles by way of submission against Kiamrian Abbasov and Vitaly Bigdash. Plus, de Ridder competed in grappling matches against Andre Galvao and Tye Ruotolo. Russia’s Anatoly Malykhin swooped in to give the Dutch-born athlete his first professional losses and take both championships from him.
The 33-year-old athlete had openly complained on social media regarding ONE’s infrequent scheduling. Now, he will no longer be with ONE Championship. MMA fighters such as Saygid Izagakhmaev and Murad Ramazanov had also recently parted ways with ONE. However, Reinier de Ridder is the highest-profile athlete to step back from the promotion. It seems ONE may be focusing more heavily on Kickboxing and Muay Thai rather than MMA.
The submission specialist is set to compete in UAE Warriors 51 on Jul. 27 against Turkey’s Magomedmurad Khasaev, also a former ONE athlete. Khasaev is primarily a knockout striker while de Ridder has dominated in MMA with his dangerous grappling game. UAE Warriors broadcasts on UFC Fight Pass.