Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder

Reigning ONE Middleweight MMA World Champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder is a lifelong martial artist, having started training in judo at the age of 5. The Netherlander then made his grappling game even more potent with Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu as an adult and competed extensively on the mats throughout Europe, 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 opponents 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 joined the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2018.   

Unsurprisingly, “The Dutch Knight” is a skilled grappler with strong takedowns and judo throws. He also presents a constant submission threat on the canvas. De Ridder is excited to represent his gym and nation on the global stage, and his ultimate goal is to inspire others to greatness in life. 

He did just that in 2020 when he submitted then-two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang to capture the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX. Then he dominated the Burmese star once again to snatch the light heavyweight crown by unanimous decision just six months later. 

After two defenses of his middleweight belt, the Dutchman put his ONE Light Heavyweight MMA World Title on the line against heavyweight divisional king Anatoly Malykhin at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December 2022. 

While he suffered a devastating first-round knockout defeat, De Ridder is now eyeing redemption in the headliner of ONE 166: Qatar on March 1. In what will be a blockbuster showdown at the historic event, he defends his ONE Middleweight MMA World Title in a rematch with old tormentor Malykhin.