Reinier de Ridder, an accomplished MMA fighter who competed in ONE Championship, has decided to leave the organization and is getting ready to start a new chapter in his career.
De Ridder first made a name for himself in smaller MMA promotions like 360 and Hit-FC before joining ONE Championship more than five years ago. He made a memorable debut by swiftly defeating Fan Rong via submission and went on to secure both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles with six impressive consecutive victories.
However, de Ridder faced setbacks when he lost both titles to Anatoly Malykhin, who defeated him for the light heavyweight title with a knockout in December 2022. Malykhin cemented his dominance by claiming the middleweight title in March 2024, becoming a three-division champion.
Following two losses in a row, de Ridder decided to part ways with ONE Championship. He is now gearing up to compete in UAE Warriors and is set to make his debut against Magomedmurad Khasaev in Abu Dhabi later this month.
Although there were rumors about de Ridder potentially moving to organizations like UFC or PFL after leaving ONE, his current focus is on his upcoming match in UAE Warriors. Meanwhile, ONE Championship continues to present MMA events, featuring fighters like Anatoly Malykhin in upcoming shows in the United States.
