Joe Rogan’s mind quickly turned to what’s next after the UFC 319 main event.
The UFC legend commented from cageside as Khamzat Chimaev became the middleweight champion on Saturday night.
Dricus du Plessis barely landed a glove on the 15-0 Russian during their five-round clash in Chicago.
The sheer dominance of the performance had Joe Rogan immediately searching the 185lb division for a contender capable of giving the new titleholder a decent fight.
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Joe Rogan talks up middleweight contender
There’s no obvious fighter who is next in line to face Khamzat Chimaev in his first title defense.
The 31-year-old and Dana White have shown an interest in him returning at UFC 321 on October 26.
Post-fight, Joe Rogan suggested Reinier de Ridder is the most compelling opponent for Chimaev’s next UFC bout.
“Reinier de Ridder, in particular, given his ability to grapple on the ground, and also his ability to land shots standing, particularly that knee he lands. That is nasty,” Rogan said while discussing Chimaev’s list of potential opponents.
“Toughness, experience, he throws those combinations with that long lead-in knee. He’s interesting.”
Reinier de Ridder’s UFC run
Reinier de Ridder is ranked #5 in the middleweight division after a four-fight run in the Octagon.
The former two-weight ONE champion made the switch to MMA’s premier promotion in 2024.
De Ridder’s UFC career began with back-to-back submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland.
In May, the 34-year-old made it look easy as he became the first man to beat Bo Nickal in MMA.
De Ridder KO’d Nickal with a knee to the body and punches in the UFC Des Moines co-main event.
Two months later, De Ridder outpointed Robert Whittaker to record a career-best UFC win in Abu Dhabi.
It was assumed that he would need one more big victory before getting a shot at MMA’s ultimate prize.
And he might, but Chimaev’s need for an opponent ASAP, coupled with Rogan’s support, might see De Ridder skip the queue at 185lbs.