UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder steamrolled middleweight veteran Kevin Holland to kick off the UFC 311 pay-per-view (PPV) card last weekend in Los Angeles, giving “The Dutch Knight” a 2-0 record inside the Octagon with two submission finishes.
Holland was unranked at 185 pounds but De Ridder is hoping the hype surrounding his jump to UFC, coupled with his accomplishments on the international circuit, will be enough to land him a big fight in the second half of 2025 (or even sooner).
“Khamzat and Whittaker,” De Ridder, 34, said during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference (watch it here). “Khamzat will be cool for a grapplers’ matchup, would be cool for all that he’s done. Please, I hope they give me this, it would be amazing. I can be ready as soon as they are. Israel and Imavov will fight soon, as well, one of them would work, too. I can be back in the gym next week.”
Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov headline the promotion’s return to Saudi Arabia in less than two weeks, though it’s unlikely De Ridder (19-2) would be able to leapfrog the rest of the division and snag the winner (or loser) of that important middleweight fight.
As for Khamzat Chimaev, he recently submitted Robert Whittaker to improve his record to 14-0 with 12 finishes, leaving him at or near the top of the list of eligible title contenders. It will be interesting to see what matchmakers do with “The Dutch Knight” moving forward.
