If we talk about underrated fighters—or those who enjoy less press than other stars—there is no doubt that there is one figure in particular that quickly comes to mind: Reinier de Ridder. The Dutchman is an exceptional warrior, one of those who speak little but offers a lot.

But now, the former ONE Championship fighter is finally on his path to earning major limelight by being a part of the UFC’s middleweight division. A signing by Dana White that truly excited many MMA fans as they know the capabilities of the 17-2 fighter. But who are his only two losses, and what was his MMA journey like? Let’s find it out!

Reinier de Ridder only had two MMA losses – Who were the opponents?

The Dutchman began his career in martial arts at the age of five, and through judo. Eventually, he would transition into Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where he would also find an astonishing facility in learning and mastering the art of submission. The solid foundation truly helped him earn a reputation as a dominant fighter in the ONE Championship and made him the light heavyweight champion of the promotion. However, his first loss came while defending the same belt as Anatoly Malykhin.

Malykhin managed to knock out Ridder in the very first round of the fight on December 3, 2022, at ONE on Prime Video 5. If this loss wasn’t enough, Malykhin continued to maintain his dominance over the Dutch Knight by handing him his second defeat at ONE 166. Malykhin truly overpowered Ridder, who took the loss by retirement in the third round.

Reinier de Ridder’s overall MMA record, finishes, titles, and more

As a teenager, De Ridder won numerous medals in regional tournaments and made his professional MMA debut in 2013 at just 22 years old (at light heavyweight). By 2019, his talent had already been heard in several places, and it was ONE that decided to bet on him. It didn’t go wrong: de Ridder debuted against Fan Rong in January of that year and managed to submit him in just the first round.

He continued his dominance inside the Octagon which would lead him to have the chance to fight for the middleweight belt against Aung La Nsang. De Ridder would manage to overcome him to win the middleweight belt. And if that wasn’t enough, he also won the light heavyweight title against the same opponent.

This dominance allowed the Dutchman to go on a 17-fight win streak that led him to become a one-time ONE Middleweight World Champion, one-time ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion, one-time HIT Middleweight Champion, and the 360 Middleweight Champion. In addition to this, he also had multiple successful title defenses. And now, the 34-year-old is on his way to climbing the ladder of the UFC middleweight division.

What do you think? Will he be able to succeed in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.