Current middleweight MMA king Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder is pumped up to show off his ever-evolving, world-class ground game in an intriguing submission grappling showdown with BJJ phenom Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III – the organization’s historic debut on American soil. 

Now, just days away from that May 5 battle at 1stBank Center in Colorado, “The Dutch Knight” has sought out the best minds in jiu-jitsu to help him prepare for what Ruotolo will bring to the Circle.

Reinier de Ridder will be eyeing victory after training with a world-famous grappling coach

In many ways, the bout will be De Ridder’s shot at redemption, as it comes five months after he lost his ONE Light Heavyweight World Title to Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin in devastating fashion. Obviously, the Combat Brothers athlete wants to ensure a triumphant return to competition.

Trending

Silencing Nike Chaos, Sha’Carri Richardson’s Historic Move With Sprite Puts Her in 96-Year-Old Inner Circle for Olympics

April 18, 2024 10:20 PM EDT

‘Thought Charlie Was the Real Deal’: Tiger Woods’s Son Taunted by Golf World as Rival Prodigy Steals the Show

April 19, 2024 11:30 AM EDT

Worried Coaches Denied Simone Biles’ Paris Olympics Appeal After Twisties Trauma

April 19, 2024 02:30 PM EDT

“Jamie F**ked Up”- Fans React as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson’s JRE Episode Is Deleted in Minutes

April 19, 2024 03:05 PM EDT

Possible Shohei Ohtani Ban From MLB Has Shaq Questioning $700 Million Contract

April 16, 2024 05:20 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

To that end, he’s enlisted the help of world-renowned BJJ coach John Danaher, as well as Danaher’s top student, multiple-time ADCC World Champion Gordon Ryan. De Ridder says that working with those elite grappling specialists has been a true game-changer.

“It Will Help Me Keep Her on the Outside” – Alyse Anderson Hopes to Make the Most Out of Height and Reach Advantage Against Stamp

He said, “Gordon and John Danaher have been a great help in that area. I thought I knew a couple of tricks, but they’ve really opened the book for me. And it’s very cool to be welcomed there. It’s very cool that they’ve helped me out, and they’ve really helped me get my game to a new level.”

Renier De Ridder had worked on the minute elements to upgrade his overall grappling game

As a BJJ and judo black belt, the Dutch star is considered by many to be MMA’s best overall grappler, but MMA grappling and pure submission grappling are different skill sets. According to de Ridder, his focused work on the intricacies and finer points of grappling has elevated his submission game to a new level.

“If I Can Create This Pressure for Myself, I Can Create Support for Myself Too” – Rodtang Admits He’s More Dialed Up Under Pressure

“The Dutch Knight” added, “It’s been very cool to focus on grappling for the last four months. I’ve only done some MMA stuff once, twice, or three times a week, but grappling has been the main focus. I’ve been grappling twice a day. And normally in an MMA camp, I might grapple four times a week and do four sessions a week. So now I get that in two days. It’s very cool to see how my game is growing.”