Reinier de Ridder didn’t arrive in the UFC with the same level of hype as three-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal, but he arguably walked away from their fight with even more fanfare after he scored a devastating knockout over the decorated wrestler.
While he walked into the fight as a heavy underdog, de Ridder proved the odds were way off after he actually held down Nickal on the ground during the opening round before delivering a brutal series of knee strikes to the body to score the finish in the second. None of this surprised 205-pound ONE champion Anatoly Malykhin, who remains the only fighter to hand de Ridder a loss after he beat “RDR” twice between 2022 and 2024.
“De Ridder has been my toughest opponent, really,” Malykhin told MMA Fighting. “He’s a great champ. He was the double champ in the world’s top league and who is Bo Nickal? He’s not a big fighter. He’s a fighter of a different level. Somebody simply believed in him. Somebody made him this young, UFC star. Now we see his level.
“6-0 [in ONE Championship], that’s what de Ridder had before meeting me and all of his early wins as well. He was rated at [light heavyweight], he was rated at [middleweight] and now he’s in the UFC, he cuts down to [185 pounds], the whole division is under threat. Under a big threat. Don’t underestimate this guy. If somebody is underestimating him, they’re going to have big, big problems.”
After he saw de Ridder finish Nickal at UFC Des Moines, Malykhin sent a message of congratulations to his former opponent on all the success he’s found in his new fighting home.
That win moved de Ridder to 3-0 in the UFC and Malykhin couldn’t be much happier for him.
While Malykhin has accomplished a lot in his own career, including a stint as the first and only ever three-division champion in ONE history, the Russian mauler credits de Ridder as the fighter who pushed him most during his career.
“You know what, I’m really grateful that de Ridder and I had this rivalry,” Malykhin said. “He made me a different fighter. I never prepared for anybody else like I prepared for him. Those were the hardest training sessions in my entire life. Not only physically but he made me mentally a little stronger. I have nothing but respect for him.
“I’m happy for him. I’m happy for his wins in the UFC. I’m happy that our rivalry was so spectacular that it gave people such amazing fights. Also, I hope that maybe at some time in the future we can meet again, maybe have two veterans fighting, maybe have a grappling [match].”
The win over Nickal may have shot him to stardom in the UFC, but de Ridder didn’t get much time to celebrate because he received a call just a few days later with a new fight offer.
In July, de Ridder takes a decided step up in competition when he faces former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the main event at a UFC Fight Night card headed to Abu Dhabi.
Once again, de Ridder may find himself as the underdog, but Malykhin is confident the Dutch fighter is going to get the job done and add Whittaker to his win column.
“Of course, Whittaker is a great fighter, it will be a great opponent,” Malykhin said. “I think he’s been in this game for many years and he’s now on the decline. He’s not in the same condition as when he started, when he was the champion. After the fight with Chimaev, I think Chimaev broke him. Both mentally and physically broke his jaw.
“So the fight is most likely to be very similar to Chimaev-Whittaker. I think de Ridder will win by submission most likely.”
De Ridder could find himself staring at a potential title shot in the near future if Malykhin’s prediction comes true. Even before that fight takes place, Malykhin believes his former opponent should already be considered among the best middleweights in the UFC.
“If I were to analyze how de Ridder is doing in the division, he’s definitely a threat,” Malykhin said. “I think he’s in the top 3 of the division right now.”
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