In the second, they clinched almost immediately, and while the action seemed minimal at first, de Ridder began landing brutal knees to the body that visibly wore on Nickal. As soon as de Ridder smelled blood in the water, he poured it on with a flurry of punches to the head and body. Nickal fired back, but de Ridder landed another crushing knee to the midsection that folded Nickal to the canvas, earning “RdR” his first UFC knockout.
When asked if his career has gone as expected so far, de Ridder admitted he’s been a little surprised. Not by his performances, but by how fast the UFC has been moving him up the ladder.
WATCH: Reinier de Ridder Fight Week Interview | UFC Abu Dhabi
“[The UFC] has really given me all these opportunities, big name fights from the start,” de Ridder said. “All of them went very well. After every fight, a couple days later they called me, ‘Hey, you want to fight this guy?’ It’s just been rolling for the last 12 months.
“I want to get the biggest fights possible. I’m not wasting time. I’m not sitting around. I want to fight the best guys.”
Ask and you shall receive, because this Saturday, de Ridder will face former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the main event at UFC Abu Dhabi. A win over the No. 5 ranked contender would propel de Ridder up the rankings and move him ever so close to a fight with the winner of UFC 319’s main event next month.