Reinier de Ridder Record: 21-4-0

Adversity against Malykhin

His reign ran into an immovable obstacle in unbeaten heavyweight Anatoly Malykhin. In December 2022, moving up to challenge for a third belt, de Ridder was knocked out in the first round — the first stoppage loss of his career. The 2024 rematch went the same direction, with Malykhin scoring a third-round TKO. Sandwiched between them was a grappling-match draw with Andre Galvao in 2022 and a 2023 submission-grappling loss to Tye Ruotolo, a reminder that even elite grapplers meet specialists. Rather than stall out, de Ridder rebuilt his momentum and set his sights on the UFC.

UFC arrival and a contender's run

De Ridder signed with the UFC and debuted in November 2024, submitting veteran Gerald Meerschaert with a third-round arm-triangle choke. He followed with a first-round rear-naked choke of Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January 2025, then delivered a statement against unbeaten blue-chip prospect Bo Nickal in May 2025, stopping him with a second-round knee to the body. In July 2025 he won a five-round split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, vaulting himself into the division's elite. The surge cooled in October 2025 when Brendan Allen forced a fourth-round TKO stoppage, and de Ridder dropped a unanimous decision to Caio Borralho at UFC 326 in March 2026.

Fighting style

De Ridder is a grappling-first finisher whose game is built around his length, relentless top control and an opportunistic submission attack — 13 of his 21 wins have come by submission, with chokes and triangles his bread and butter. His judo and jiu-jitsu base let him drag fights to the mat and methodically advance position, and the Whittaker decision proved he can also out-grapple a world-class striker over 25 minutes. His developing standup added a knockout dimension, as the Nickal body-knee finish showed. The honest caveat is durability against heavy hands: all three of his career knockout losses came against the sport's biggest punchers, marking elite power as the clearest threat to a fighter who otherwise controls where bouts take place.

Career highlights

• Former ONE two-division champion — held the ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight titles simultaneously, one of the promotion's rare dual champions.
• Statement win over Bo Nickal — handed the unbeaten prospect his first loss with a second-round body-knee KO, then beat former champ Robert Whittaker.
• 86% finish rate — 18 of 21 wins by stoppage, including 13 submissions, among the most efficient finishing résumés in the middleweight ranks.