Booking his first headliner this weekend in the Middle East, Reinier de Ridder has offered himself a sizeable challenge ahead of his title eliminator.
Set to take main event honors at UFC Abu Dhabi, Dutch grappling ace de Ridder will take on former champion Robert Whittaker in a high-stakes showdown — with the pair looking to position themselves for a title charge.
Running roughshod through each of his first three opponents in the promotion, de Ridder has set himself a target ahead of this weekend, in a bid to stake his claim for a shot at middleweight gold.
Reinier de Ridder eyes stoppage win over Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi
Already racking up a trio of impressive victories in his UFC run, de Ridder enjoyed a pair of title successes in ONE Championship before his move to the Octagon.
And set to put his streak on the line this weekend — including his massive stoppage win over uber-prospect, Bo Nickal, de Ridder has plans to leave himself undeniable when it comes to a title shot.
“A win is not enough. I need to finish him (Robert Whittaker),” Reinier de Ridder told MMA Junkie. “I need to finish him early, hopefully spectacularly.
“…That would be perfect, or maybe Khamzat (Chimaev) pulls out last minute and they give me a call. We’ll see.”
Hoping to serve as a backup for UFC 319 next month if needed, de Ridder has even offered a rather surprising prediction for the night’s massive headliner.
Reinier de Ridder picks between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev in Chicago
With plans to face the winner of Dricus du Plessis and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev with a victory over Whittaker, surging grappler de Ridder will have a keen eye on the UFC 319 headliner.
And while previously training with Chimaev — as well as defending champion, du Plessis — de Ridder claims the former is likely to come unstuck for the first time in his career.
“I’m still leaning towards Dricus (du Plessis) because of the experience I have training with both guys,” de Ridder told Submission Radio. “I just don’t see Khamzat finishing him early.
“And I see Dricus building in the third, fourth, or fifth round,” de Ridder added. “I see him edging it out.”