Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder

Reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion Reinier de Ridder is a lifelong martial artist, having started training in judo since the age of 5. He then made his grappling game even more potent with Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu as an adult and has competed extensively on the mats throughout Europe since then, winning numerous medals along the way.

De Ridder made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2013 after a year of preparation and reeled off nine consecutive wins, finishing his opponent in each victory and capturing two European regional titles along the way. His superb grappling game and stellar record caught the eye of ONE Championship, and he soon joined the world’s best martial artists in the promotion in 2018.

Unsurprisingly, De Ridder is a skilled grappler with strong takedowns and judo throws, and presents a constant submission thread on the mat. He is excited to be representing his gym and nation on the global stage, but remains humble and notes that there is more to life than competing in the cage, stating his ultimate goal is to inspire others to greatness in life.