In just three UFC appearances, Reinier de Ridder has pulled off a remarkable rise in the UFC. He first toppled Kevin Holland in January. He then ran through the highly hyped Bo Nickal, and then followed it up with a statement win over former champion Robert Whittaker late last month. In just over eight months, his stock has skyrocketed, turning him into one of the promotion’s fastest-rising stars. The Dutch star has now shown his interest in a potential clash with former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. While showing respect for the Nigerian-born New Zealander and all he’s accomplished in the sport, de Ridder made it clear he’s eager to test himself against ‘The Last Stylebender’.

The 34-year-old, during one of his interviews with ‘Inside Fighting’, said, “I greatly admire him because he has done so much in the sport. He still has the best record; he defeated Pereira in his last fight, and he fights so elegantly. For me, this is a more significant reason to have a fight rather than with a guy who demands it on the basis that he simply hates me.” However, former UFC contender Chael Sonnen feels this fight may not be the right one for RDR at the moment. ‘The American Gangster’ took to his YouTube channel to share his honest opinion on the entire situation.

Sonnen said, “He calls out Israel Adesanya, but he got more specific. It was a great call out, but it was the wrong guy. He calls for Izzy, and then he goes a step further, which most fighters don’t have the wherewithal to do. He called for a date. I will meet you in November in New York. There’s only 5 W’s to a story. Who, what, when, why, and where. Now he covered three of them, but he didn’t include the why, right?” The call-out comes at a time when Israel Adesanya is still trying to navigate his way back into the title picture after hitting a rough patch in his career. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently stuck in a three-fight skid, and Sonnen feels it’s the current form of ‘Izzy’ that doesn’t make him an ideal choice for RDR.

Sonnen further added, “Number one contenders fight. And the only reason that’s a problem is that beating Adesanya doesn’t make you a number one contender. But there’s also a representation that DDR is not understanding where he’s at. He’s coming off two of the biggest wins, only behind in my mind Ilia Topuria. And Izzy is not in that spot, and he is not ranked in that spot.” However, the 34-year-old is keeping his options open at the moment. It seems he also has a few more opponents in his mind apart from the former middleweight champion.

Not only Israel Adesanya but De Ridder has his eyes set on the title shot as well

Reinier de Ridder, currently sitting at No. 5 in the middleweight rankings, may have just put himself firmly in the title conversation after his last victory. Once the updated rankings showed him in the top 5, a shot at gold could be drawing closer for the fast-rising contender. However, with elite names already lining up to face the winner of next month’s championship bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev, the 185-pound division is looking more crowded—and competitive—than ever. With contenders like Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov also battling for position, the road to middleweight gold has never been more congested.

Yet, it’s hard to overlook what Reinier de Ridder has accomplished. Four fights in just nine months, all wins—three of them by stoppage—make for an impressive résumé that demands attention. Riding this wave of momentum, de Ridder appeared on the UFC Fight Night post-show to discuss his next steps, even laying out his ideal scenario for a dream title defense. ‘The Dutch Knight’ during the post-show said, “Crazy year. Four fights, three finishes, almost finished Rob. Life is good, I’m a top-five guy now. So, yeah, I would say Dricus, I would say Khamzat (next). … I’m thinking of Dricus (winning at UFC 319). He has the Dutch genes, like me. I think Dricus, but we’ll see.”

At 34, time may not be on Reinier de Ridder’s side—but momentum certainly is. The “Dutch Knight” has surged ahead with four wins in just nine months, and his confidence has never looked stronger. With the middleweight division heating up, the big question remains who he should be fighting next in his career. While he has shown interest in facing the former middleweight champion, Adesanya, will the UFC give him a title shot next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.