5 Things You Might Not Know about Reinier de Ridder

Reinier de Ridder walked through the doors at One Championship in 2019 and almost immediately began rearranging the furniture.

A little more than two years later, the undefeated Dutchman now owns titles in two different weight classes and appears to have plenty of staying power in a sport known for its here-today-gone-tomorrow volatility. Already in possession of the One Championship middleweight crown, de Ridder laid claim to the Singapore-based company’s light heavyweight belt when he took a five-round unanimous decision from Aung La N Sang at One on TNT 4 on April 28. Exactly where “The Dutch Knight” will proceed next remains to be seen.

As de Ridder awaits his latest assignment from One Championship matchmakers, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He walks in exclusive circles.

De Ridder holds the distinction as the third simultaneous two-division titleholder in One Championship history. The aforementioned Sang and Martin Nguyen are the others.

2. He sticks with what brought him to the dance.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has delivered nine of his 14 career victories by submission. De Ridder’s methods of choice: four rear-naked chokes, two armbars, one triangle choke, one arm-triangle choke and one brabo choke.

3. Demand for his talents has been high.

De Ridder has competed in eight different organizations as a mixed martial artist. He has gone 5-0 in One Championship, 3-0 in Superior Fighting Championship, 1-0 in Extreme Fighting Championship, 1-0 in Hit Fighting Championship, 1-0 in World Fighting League, 1-0 in 360 Promotion, 1-0 in German King Cup and 1-0 in Gladiators Fighting Championship. The Dutchman has piled up the miles on the figurative odometer during his travels, having fought in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, the Philippines, China, Indonesia and Singapore.

4. He knows how to draw attention.

“The Dutch Knight” started his MMA career with nine consecutive finishes, six of them inside one round. De Ridder made his final appearance on the regional circuit on March 10, 2018, when he submitted Warren Allison with a rear-naked choke 2:00 into their clash at EFC Worldwide 67. He made his One Championship debut 10 months later.

5. Ambition remains a primary motivator.

De Ridder has already gone public with his interest in becoming a three-division champion—a feat unprecedented in a major mixed martial arts promotion. Arjan Singh Bhullar appears to be his primary target in that regard. The once-beaten Canadian captured the One Championship heavyweight title on May 15, when he put away Brandon Vera with second-round punches and ended his historic 1,982-day reign atop the division.