Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal are on the radar of Reinier de Ridder, who is just days away from his UFC debut. The Dutchman, a former two-division ONE champion, is already eyeing two of the best fighters in the middleweight division.
De Ridder, who will take on Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night this weekend, is keen, and evidently impatient to replicate his ONE Championship success in the promotion. He boasts a 17-2 career record. His two losses have come against the same opponent — Anatoly Malykhin.
In an interview with Damon Martin on MMA Fighting, De Ridder spoke about fighting ‘Borz’ and Nickal:
“Like Khamzat and Bo Nickal would both be amazing….That might be a nice next step….That’s a fun one, right? I’m down for that. So Paul Craig, take a hike.”
De Ridder wanted to know who Nickal was fighting next. When he heard it was Paul Craig, he wondered if he could replace him.
The Dutchman clearly wants to get to the big names as soon as possible. Though he was a dominant force in the ONE Championship, it will be interesting to see how his skills fare in the UFC, against better opponents.
De Ridder understands how he can make an impact right during his UFC debut. He wants to not just secure a victory, but do it in a dominant way.
De Ridder’s game plan for his UFC debut
De Ridder wants the entire division to take note of his entry, and wants the top contenders to consider him a serious threat. In a press conference ahead of his bout against Meerschaert, he spoke about what he wants to do to the American come Saturday night:
“A win is not enough in this one. The top dogs finish Gerald, and I want to prove I’m one of them.”
Taking out a seasoned fighter like Meerschaert on debut would give him a standing to call out the bigger fighters. His case would be further strengthened if he wins via a KO. De Ridder seems confident of doing that and more. Nickal and Chimaev would surely be watching.
