UFC president Dana White is usually the first to know about any new signings, but this one seems to have caught him by surprise. The UFC recently added Reinier de Ridder, a two-weight world champion from ONE Championship to their roster, and White admitted he had no clue it even happened! Known for his dominance in the cage, de Ridder’s move to the UFC also has fans buzzing. When asked about the signing at the presser following this week’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, White confessed, “ Sh*t I don’t know about that! ” It’s not every day the UFC president gets blindsided like this, and it just goes to show how fast things are moving in the company.
So yes, Reinier de Ridder is now officially a UFC fighter with multiple sources also confirmeing that “The Dutch Knight” has signed with the promotion. The news broke after a tweet from the Roster Tracker account on Tuesday, though there’s no word yet on when or against whom de Ridder will make his octagon debut. De Ridder (17-2) last fought in July, delivering a first-round knockout at UAE Warriors.
This was his first fight since leaving ONE Championship, where he had built an impressive record of 7-2. Known for his grappling prowess, de Ridder made waves by defeating two-division champ Aung La N Sang twice to claim both titles. However, he lost those belts in back-to-back fights against Anatoly Malykhin.
Now, all these accomplishments, while still having age on his side has made RDR one of the latest big free .