Reinier de Ridder is making waves in the UFC middleweight division. On Saturday, May 3, he pulled off a major upset with a dominant second-round TKO over rising prospect Bo Nickal, handing the former wrestling star the first loss of his career.
Now, de Ridder is already looking ahead to the division’s top prize, laying out his plan to beat reigning champion Dricus du Plessis.
Reinier de Ridder Lays Out Blueprint To Defeat Dricus du Plessis
De Ridder is riding high on confidence, having finished all the UFC opponents he has faced so far. Following his dominant victory over Nickal, he appeared on “Submission Radio,” where he was asked about his strategy to defeat du Plessis in a potential showdown.
“RDR” broke down the unique challenges the South African champion brings to the Octagon, highlighting his unorthodox movement and relentless cardio. The Dutch fighter pointed out that previous opponents of “Stillknocks” have failed to effectively blend striking with grappling.
“It’s a crazy puzzle to solve because the way he moves everything he does is so weird. The gas tank is crazy, the angles he comes with are very weird. But what we haven’t seen people do to him is mixing strikes and takedowns. They all strike, and then he shells up, moves back. They stop striking, and then he gets another go,” de Ridder said.
De Ridder suggested a more mixed approach, initiating striking to draw du Plessis into his defensive shell, then capitalizing on that hesitation to push him against the cage and engage in wrestling or clinch work.
“But I think what would be important in Dricus’ fight is to hit him with a couple shots, make him shell up like he likes to do, and then push him against the cage and wrestle him — get into the clinch,” de Ridder said.
De Ridder and du Plessis have trained together in the past, and with “RDR” now laying out a strategy, he may pose a serious threat to the South African champion’s throne. It would be an intriguing matchup for fans.
Following his victory over Nickal, the Dutch fighter called out former Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland for a potential bout. It remains to be seen what challenge the promotion will present to him next.
However, while de Ridder has publicly expressed interest in facing Strickland, rumors are swirling on social media that he might instead square off against former Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker, who has been out of action since his devastating first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.