Reinier de Ridder will face a steep climb in competition for his next UFC fight to begin the new year.
Reinier de Ridder was one of the UFC’s biggest signings in 2024 after a decorated tenure in ONE Championship. After getting an impressive finish in his UFC debut, De Ridder will make his return to the cage on a massive platform.
De Ridder defeated Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100 earlier this month by third-round submission. After a sluggish start to the fight from both middleweights, De Ridder didn’t take long to find his rhythm, tapping out Meerschaert with an arm-triangle choke.
Just weeks removed from passing his first UFC test, De Ridder already has his next Octagon assignment in the form of a massive UFC fan favorite.
Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland added to UFC 311
As reported by Alex Behunin, De Ridder will face Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in Los Angeles. It marks Holland’s return to middleweight after suffering an injury against Roman Dolidze in his most recent fight at UFC 307.
Before suffering the injury, Holland snapped Michal Oleksiejczuk’s arm at UFC 302 to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses. Holland has competed at welterweight and middleweight in his UFC career, earning wins against the likes of Michael Chiesa and Joaquin Buckley.
De Ridder vs. Holland adds to a stellar card at UFC 311. Just days ago, it was announced that former UFC champions Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka will clash in the co-main event.
- READ MORE: Michael Chandler shares dent-like scars almost two full weeks after UFC 309 loss to Charles Oliveira
Reinier de Ridder and Kevin Holland battle to inch closer to a Top 15 ranking
Before signing with the UFC this year, De Ridder made a name for himself as a double-champ in ONE Championship. After winning the ONE light heavyweight and middleweight titles, he lost both to Anatoly Malykhin in back-to-back losses.
De Ridder then parted ways from ONE after the Malykhin fights, later pleading with fighters not to sign with the promotion. He said signees would be making a ‘bad mistake’ in joining ONE, but pointed out his first few years with the promotion were positive.
De Ridder and Holland have the opportunity to set themselves apart from the middleweight pack heading into 2025. As for UFC 311, the rest of the fight lineup is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.