Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal are on Reinier de Ridder’s radar. The Dutchman is just days away from his UFC debut and he is already eyeing two of the best fighters in the division. Ridder will be taking on Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night this weekend. The former two-division One champion will be looking to replicate that success in the UFC.
To date, he has lost only twice, and both times against the same opponent. His dominance in One Championship was a sight to behold.
For Ridder, this is a dream come true, getting to compete in the biggest MMA organization in the world. He is looking to become a global superstar after joining the UFC.
In an interview with Damon Martin for MMA Fighting, the former One Champion spoke about potential fights against ‘Borz’ and Nickal,
“Like Khamzat and Bo Nickal would both be amazing….That might be a nice next step….That’s a fun one, right? I’m down for that. So Paul Craig, take a hike.”
Reinier de Ridder was wondering who Bo Nickal was fighting next. When he heard it was Paul Craig, he wondered if he could step in and replace Craig.
The Dutchman is wasting no time and wants to get to the big names as soon as possible. It will be interesting to see how his skills translate to the UFC, against better opponents.
Even ahead of his UFC debut, he doesn’t want to just secure a victory against Meerschaert, he wants to do it in a dominant way.
Reiner De Ridder’s game plan for his UFC debut
De Ridder wants to make an impact in his very first fight. He wants to put the entire division on notice about a new threat in the organization.
In a press conference ahead of his bout against Gerald Meerschaert, he spoke about what he wants to do to the American come Saturday night,
“A win is not enough in this one. The top dogs finish Gerald, and I want to prove I’m one of them.”
Ridder is looking at this fight as an opportunity to call out bigger names. Taking out a veteran in Meerschaert in his debut fight would give him a lot of leverage. Finishing him off via a KO would further strengthen his case to fight a big name next. He seems extremely confident that he can pull off the victory this weekend.