Athletes
The Goal Is In Sight For Reinier De Ridder
Reinier de Ridder Still Sees An Opportunity To Earn The Next Shot At The Middleweight Title Despite A Change Of Opponent In Vancouver
Reinier de Ridder has his sights set on a shot at the undisputed UFC middleweight title and sees his next assignment as the bout that will get him there.
De Ridder was all set to face fellow middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Vancouver this weekend, but after “Fluffy” was forced off the card, ninth-ranked contender Brendan Allen stepped in. It’s a matchup that de Ridder is grateful for and one that he plans to use to underscore his championship credentials.
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
“First thing was I was very disappointed, of course,” said de Ridder as he recalled the moment his bout with Hernandez was scrapped. “But the good thing is here (with UFC), we always figure something out. Like, if you want to stay on the card, then, then they'll, they'll get you somebody. Not like in the previous organization I fought (where) it was always if somebody pulled out, I knew I was f**ked (and) was gonna sit around for months again and hope for a call.
“I was confident they'd be able to find somebody. Paulo (Costa) was in the conversation for a little bit, but I'm very happy that Brendan stepped up and took the fight like he did and, yeah, it’s just cool to be here again.”
Sometimes, a change of opponent means a complete change in opposition style, but in Allen, de Ridder sees someone cut from the same cloth as Hernandez.
"They're pretty similar," he suggested. “Skill-wise, they're both pretty good boxers, decent hands. They both grapple pretty well. I think 'Fluffy’s' wrestling is a bit better, and Brendan's jiu-jitsu is maybe a bit better.
UFC VANCOUVER: Canadians Fighting At Home
"I think the biggest difference is that 'Fluffy' builds during the fight, he gets better every round, and Brendan kind of fades sometimes, because he starts making some bad decisions in later rounds sometimes. But there must be something he's been working on, something he has addressed over, over the last couple of months.
"And because of 'Fluffy’s' cardio, I really invested first few weeks of camp, the first four or five weeks of camp, in building my cardio. So that was a nice base this camp. And then the last couple of weeks, I was able to take a bit of a step back and try and recover as well."
De Ridder finds himself on the cusp of championship contention as a result of a perfect run of four fights in the Octagon. His UFC debut saw him submit fellow grappler Gerald Meerschaert in the third round. Then, he followed up that victory two months later with a first-round submission of Kevin Holland.
In his next fight, de Ridder handed former Penn State wrestling standout Bo Nickal the first loss of Nickal’s career and showcasing his finishing skills in the stand-up for the first time in the Octagon.
But the fight that put "RDR" into the title conversation came in July, when he took on former undisputed champion Robert Whittaker. After five competitive rounds, de Ridder ended the night with his hand raised after edging a split decision.
Order UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
It proved that the Dutchman is a legitimate threat to the very best in the world, but de Ridder admitted that he wasn't fully satisfied with his performance that night.
"It was a very big one, of course, because it's Rob," he said.
"To myself, I think what I proved is it was mostly a striking affair, and I can also win a striking affair, which is very cool. That's something that’s part of my evolution, as well, I think.
"I'm still looking back at it – I think I should have made a couple better decisions, and I would have been able to put him away. So it's a bit of a mixed bag looking back at it, but I'm very proud that I was able to beat him in the way I did. There was a bit more to be brought back from that fight. But it is what it is."
RELATED: Brendan Allen Vancouver Interview
That slight disappointment in victory has seen de Ridder push himself even further in the gym, and he said we'll see an even sharper performance from him on Saturday night.
"We've been working on a lot of positioning, footwork, using my feints and my pressure a bit better, a bit smarter at times, shot selection, diversifying my kicks a little bit, my knees a little bit," he said.
"I'm always putting a lot of work into my wrestling and my grappling, so my focus is still there, but hopefully I'll be able to show a bit more of a smarter pressure approach this time."
That freshly honed skillset will be put to use against Allen, whose style De Ridder has analyzed closely ahead of fight night in Vancouver.
"He boxes well – I think he strikes pretty well in boxing range," he said.
"He likes to get close and throw combinations. It's pretty much the same stuff he throws. He throws a right straight (and) left hook – those are his best strikes. Then he throws the middle kick. He kind of throws it. It's not the most dangerous one in his arsenal, but it's a nice way of mixing it up. He throws some uppercuts, but they usually don't land.
Paul Felder & Laura Sanko Look Back On UFC 242
"Then he surprises some people with his wrestling every now and again, and his jiu-jitsu is pretty dangerous at times. He has decent top control.
"I think, especially in the 'Fluffy' fight, he had some mistakes trying to get the back in turtle position. It was all very, very sloppy on both sides, to be honest. I think that must be something they've looked at and they must have addressed, because both of them fell off like five or six times from the back. And I was just watching it thinking, ‘Oh, my God, what. Is this? This is really bad,’ but I can’t imagine that he's still making the same mistake."
With his opponent well scouted, de Ridder heads into fight night in Vancouver with a clear goal ahead of him – to leave no doubt over who the top contender at 185 really is. While Allen wasn’t his original opponent, he explained that “All In” could be the ideal measuring stick to compare him to his fellow middleweight contenders.
"I’d say the top dogs in division now are Imavov, 'Fluffy' and me, and both of them weren’t able to finish Brendan," he said.
"They had very close fights (and) Brendan won the first round every time. I think if I can put him away, that puts me right there."
With the carrot of a potential title shot against Chimaev dangling just ahead of him, de Ridder plans on pushing the pace and scoring a statement finish and was more than happy to explain exactly how he plans to do it.
"I don’t want to go five rounds again, so hopefully I’ll be able to finish him early," he said.
"I think the first round is going to be very explosive because he’s gonna come out guns blazing. I plan on doing the same.
Order UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
"I plan on putting pressure on him early, hitting him with some good shots at long range, my teep, my jabs, and then in close range, hitting him with some elbows and knees. (Then I’ll) see if I can take him down and choke him out."
UFC Fight Night: De Ridder vs Allen took place live from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on October 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!