Granted, de Ridder didn’t take the usual path to the mixed martial arts leader. The Dutchman built his reputation under the ONE Championship banner, where he won and defended titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Fighting in that kind of spotlight with the type of pressure a title fight presents is something irreplaceable, and although a UFC main event presents its own kind of challenges and attention, de Ridder was happy to go through what he did in another promotion.
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“I was not ready for this five years ago,” he said. “I’m very, very happy I’ve had that experience a little bit on a smaller scale, that I’ve been able to grow as a person before coming here. So, maybe it all works out.”
At UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder, the 34-year-old has the chance to catapult himself into the middleweight title picture. The timing is pretty ideal, too, since the belt goes back up for grabs when champion Dricus Du Plessis defends his throne against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16.