In his very brief career in the UFC Octagon, Reinier de Ridder has engineered a meteoric ascent through the ranks. His rapid rise has turned heads across the MMA world, marking him as one of the most compelling new forces in the promotion. Within less than a year since debuting in November 2024, he’s collected four wins, including stoppages of Holland and Nickal, establishing himself as a legitimate threat RDR is fresh off a hard-fought victory against Robert Whittaker in his last fight. With this win, ‘The Dutch Knight’ has now pushed himself for a title fight next.

But at the moment, the middleweight division is loaded up with some outstanding fights. Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are all set to fight for the title at the upcoming UFC 319 event. Ideally, De Ridder would want to face the winner of the fight in hopes of becoming a champion. However, there’s one more fight lined up between two contenders, Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov, in September, and the winner might just fight for the title next. So what is the 34-year-old planning to do in order to get the attention of the UFC? It seems he is willing to go to the UFC 319 event and hopes he gets called into the Octagon by Joe Rogan for a face-off with the champion.

‘The Dutch Knight’ sat down for a chat on the ‘MMAFightingOnSBN’ show. While speaking to the host, he did make it clear that he wants to take a few weeks off to let his body recover. However, he doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to witness the title fight between Chimaev and Du Plessis. On being asked whether he would be going to witness the fight, ‘RDR’ said, “Yeah, yeah, maybe. I’m thinking of it, yeah.” However, he made it clear that at the moment, he is willing to wait for his next fight and added, “So we’ll see. Maybe Dricus wants a nice or Khamzat wants a nice, quick turnaround, and I can be ready for it. And still, yeah, hopefully it would be a very boring fight or one of the two wins. That’s the only thing I can do, hang back, make sure I’m in Chicago, and see what the next fight will be.” 

It’s impossible to ignore what Reinier de Ridder has achieved. Four fights in just nine months, all ending in victory—three by decisive stoppage—have built a résumé that speaks volumes. His momentum is undeniable, and his performances demand the spotlight. But it seems he is not quite worried about getting a title shot, but rather focused on his preparation. One name that he has in his mind for a future clash is former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. But former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen doesn’t quite feel it’s the right choice for RDR moving forward.

Reinier De Ridder should move his focus away from Adesanya feels Sonnen

Israel Adesanya is, without a doubt, one of the biggest names in the UFC. RDR does appreciate the fact, and during one of his interviews with ‘Inside Fighting’, shared why he wants to fight ‘Izzy’ next. The 34-year-old fighter 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.”  Still, not everyone is convinced this is the right move for Reinier de Ridder. Former UFC title fighter Chael Sonnen, never one to hold back, voiced his concerns on his YouTube channel. ‘The American Gangster’ offered a candid take, suggesting that this particular matchup might not be ideal for RDR.

The call-out comes as Israel Adesanya finds himself in unfamiliar territory, trying to claw his way back into title contention after a rough stretch in his career. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is riding a three-fight losing streak, and according to Chael Sonnen, that slump is exactly why Adesanya may not be the right opponent for Reinier de Ridder right now. He said, “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.”  

At 34, Reinier de Ridder may be racing against the clock—but he’s doing it with serious momentum on his side. Given the logjam, many expect him to be slotted against the upcoming Cannonier–Page winner, then potentially face the loser of Du Plessis‑Chimaev, before truly being considered for gold. Who do you think he will be fighting next in the division? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.