Reinier de Ridder achieved an easy victory in the UFC on Saturday night. The cage fighter from Breda is only the first Dutchman since 2017 with a victory in the main card of the largest combat sports association in the world in terms of prize money.
Already in the first round, De Ridder won his middleweight match against the American Kevin Holland. The Dutchman took his opponent into a headlock in a ground fight.
“It was only a short fight, I would like to fight again soon,” De Ridder said in an initial response NOS. “I am now ready to take on a fighter from the top five of the rankings.”
The fight was part of UFC 311 in Inglewood, California. The 34-year-old De Ridder was allowed to appear in the main program, in which the five most appealing matches of the evening were programmed.
Waiting for privacy settings…
In 2017, Alistair Overeem was the last Dutch cage fighter to win a fight on the main card of a major UFC event. Since then, several Dutch fighters have competed for the American MMA association, but not in the main program or they fought at smaller events of the organization.
Germaine de Randamie was, also in 2017, the last Dutchman to win a title in the UFC. She was the featherweight champion at the time. Limburger Jarno Errens was the last Dutchman to compete in the undercard of UFC events in 2023 and 2024. After one win and two defeats, the Limburger did not receive a new contract.
For 34-year-old De Ridder, his victory in the UFC is a highlight in his long martial arts career. The Breda native played for the Asian association ONE for a long time, where he was champion at middleweight and light heavyweight. He made his debut in the UFC in November last year with a win at a smaller event.
What is UFC?
Ultimate Fighting Championship is an association in MMA (mixed martial arts) in which various combat sports are combined. It is a mix of boxing, kickboxing and wrestling, with a lot allowed. An opponent lying on the ground may also be hit.
UFC has rapidly gained popularity in recent years and is currently the combat sports organization with by far the most prize money. UFC president Dana White is an influential figure in the United States. For example, together with tech billionaire Elon Musk, he was one of the first to address Donald Trump after his election win in November.