July 26 sees the return of a rising UFC central weight that has proven that he can do the job even if it is not beautiful.
In its most difficult test in the UFC so far, Reinier De Ridder hopes to make a statement against Robert Whittaker when they offer the head in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi.
It is known that 'The Dutch Knight' is an incredibly dangerous submission specialist as soon as the fight hits the floor.
The victory of the knight over Bo Nickal, however, saw him very effectively implement his somewhat uncomfortable striking style, even if it is not his strongest skills.
A former training partner of De Ridder's, who believes that he can uncover some mistakes from Whittaker, also thinks that 'RDR' brings much more to the table than just his gripping skills.
Robert Valentin praises the spirit and mentality of Reinier de Ridder for UFC Abu Dhabi
Robert Valentin knows that Reinier de Ridder trained well with the Dutchman before he was signed at the UFC.
The Ridder's colleague UFC Middleweight, Valentin, recently spoke in an interview with Bloody Elbow about this matchup and how he sees it playing.
Since his arrival in the Octagon there has been many conversations about the clumsy style of the former championshipwoman, with comparisons made with the current 185-pound champion, Dricus Du Plessis.
Valentin acknowledges that, as we have seen with 'DDP', only because the style of the knight is not always the most aesthetically attractive, does not mean that it does not work.
He also believes that 'RDR' has a secret weapon because of his mental strength and the way in which he approaches the competition, whereby his hunger can already be seen after booking four UFC fights in less than a year.
“On the one hand it is an uncomfortable style, but what we have learned over the years is that MMA can be ugly, but still very effective. He is not a entertaining striker, he has a lot of holes in the striking game, but the thing with 'RDR' is that his mind is so strong. His will to win and compete. Super tough.”
Robert Valentin says he knew that Reinier De Ridder would be a UFC hunter at a high level before he signed the promotion
For Vecht fans who pay attention to promotions outside the UFC, Reinier de Ridder has been making noise in one championship during his time.
It was during this period that Robert Valentin trained for the first time with 'The Dutch Knight' and acknowledged what he could achieve.
He claimed that from the moment they met, De Ridder talked about the most difficult tests there are and wanted to prove himself.
“He was already talking about:” I want to make that switch to the UFC. I want to fight the best in the world. “He was unknown to many fans, just because one championship has never made a big attempt to promote him.
“I knew that this man could be a champion and give many great hunters in the UFC a difficult time, only because of his style.”