Reinier De Ridder in his last fight silenced the hype surrounding Bo Nickal with a brutal display of body shots and a clinical BJJ performance. The once-unstoppable prospect was dismantled, and suddenly, the spotlight shifted. Fans and pundits who had underestimated De Ridder were forced to reconsider their stance. De Ridder is now ready to clash against a seasoned powerhouse and former champion Robert Whittaker. The two are set to collide on July 26th, promising yet another explosive showdown inside the Octagon. His dominance has made most middleweight matchups look more like a death sentence for anyone standing across from him.

Riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC, De Ridder has firmly planted himself as one of the division’s most dangerous threats. However, according to former UFC fighter Stefan Struve, one just cannot write off ‘The Reaper’ in a fight. Whittaker is coming off a first-round loss via submission against Khamzat Chimaev in his last fight. The former champion wasn’t fully fit walking into his last fight and already had an issue with his teeth. But Struve feels he will recover from the loss and put on a show for the fans in his upcoming fight.

While speaking on TNT Sports show alongside UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, the former UFC fighter said, “And a lot of people are writing Rob off after that last fight with Chimaev. But you know, there was a freak accident that happened. He was doing all the right things, in my opinion. And for Reinier, the way he showed up in his last fight improved. The first time we have seen him in the stand-up. He was confident. He was aggressive. He was really trying to finish his opponent, while normally he’s always trying for the takedowns. Looking for the takedowns. And Rob is an incredible striker. So how is that going to work out for this fight? I’m very excited to find out.” 

Even Aspinall chimed in with his own idea for the upcoming fight. ‘Honey Badger’ feels it will all come down to Whittaker’s distance management skills and his brutal leg kicks, which will make the difference in the fight. The former champion is without a doubt one of the most skillful fighters in the division. But it will be interesting to see if he is the same fighter after the injury he faced in his last fight. His opponent, on the other hand, is high on confidence and has even issued a warning to the former champion.

Reinier De Ridder feels he can put pressure on Robert Whittaker in his next fight

The Dutchman has made a habit of finishing every opponent the UFC has thrown his way. And his recent demolition of Bo Nickal was the perfect exclamation point on his meteoric rise. Now, with momentum firmly on his side, De Ridder sets his sights on an even bigger challenge—the former middleweight king, Robert Whittaker. Speaking with Submission Radio, De Ridder made his intentions clear: he plans to push “The Reaper” to his absolute breaking point. While speaking on the show, he said,  “I see myself putting a lot of pressure on him. Hitting with some good shots early. Maybe another knee. Maybe some other cool strikes. Taking him down. Choking him out,”. 

Reinier De Ridder is definitely packing the skills to put the former middleweight champ to the test in a big way. On a hot streak with three straight wins in the UFC, “The Dutch Knight” has notched an impressive 18 finishes out of 22 professional fights. Though he’s primarily recognized for his elite submission skills, De Ridder showcased in his latest fight that he can hold his own in the striking arena as well. However, he knows that the room for error in his upcoming bout is razor-thin. In his chat with MMA Junkie, De Ridder laid out his game plan loud and clear.

He said, “It’s a great warning for me that I cannot go into the fight like Ikram did. I cannot give him space. I cannot give him time to look and see, because he has real knockout power, and very nice, clean, straight shots. I’ve got to be very mindful of that.”Reinier De Ridder walks the walk with swagger, but he knows the score when it comes to self-awareness. As he prepares to step into the ring against Robert Whittaker, he knows the hurdles he’s about to face. The Dutchman acknowledges the former champion’s prowess and understands that this matchup will push his abilities to the brink like never seen before. Who do you think is going to take the W in this matchup? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below and let’s hear what you’ve got!