Reinier de Ridder ‘happy’ in the UFC after frustrating time with ONE and eyeing huge UFC 311 stoppage of Kevin Holland
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REINIER DE RIDDER admits he's much happier in the UFC than he was during the end of his stint with ONE Championship. De Ridder made his eagerly-anticipated debut in MMA's top promotion last November after six years on the books at ONE. Getting fights proved to be difficult towards the end of the former two-weight champion's stint with ONE, which was filled with long stints of inactivity.
![[Two MMA fighters in a cage match. One fighter throws a punch.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2183925011.0.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
That, however, couldn't be any further from the case now that he's in the UFC. The promotion has handed 'The Dutch Knight' a speedy second outing early on Sunday morning on a stacked UFC 311 card in Los Angeles. "It's so nice [to be active]," De Ridder said during an exclusive interview with SunSport. "After my last fight, five days later, we were talking about the next fight already.
![[Reinier de Ridder applying an arm-triangle choke in a UFC match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Reinier-de-Ridder-UFC-Vegas-100-Arm-Triangle-Choke.jpg?strip=all&w=720)
"Which is unique. Normally five months later, I would still be begging for fights with ONE. "So I'm very happy to be active. I'm very happy to be where I'm at.". De Ridder's second octagon outing will see him face fan favourite Kevin Holland. Many expected a ranked middleweight would be RDR's next assignment given the emphatic manner in which he dispatched of Gerald Meerschaert in his debut.
![[LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 09: Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands prepares to face Gerald Meerschaert in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Reinier-de-Ridder-1.jpg?strip=all&w=612)
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. A ranked opponent, however, was offered to the 34-year-old. De Ridder revealed: "There was a ranked guy before. But he didn't want it. So Kevin stepped up."I'll keep my mouth shut on this (who the ranked middleweight was).
![[Reinier de Ridder smiling and holding two championship belts.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/reinier-de-ridder.webp?strip=all&w=960)
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