Reinier De Ridder Finds Life After First Career Loss, Talks What Lies Ahead

Reinier de Ridder's unblemished record in mixed martial arts (MMA) came to a screeching halt at the hands of Anatoly Malykhin in their December 2022 clash over the light heavyweight title as he was brutally knocked out late in the first round.

The damage he received from Malykhin had medical personnel surrounding him inside the cage as confetti fell around him was a worrying sight as he had to be wheeled out of the venue on a stretcher.

Months after the harrowing event, de Ridder has spoken about being on the losing end for the first time of his career.

"[Expletive] happens, man. I've never lost a fight before. I've never really been hurt in training. It was tough, but I was always prepared for this. I know that if you stick around long enough if you look for the largest challenges, which I do, [expletive] happens," De Ridder said.

He is set to make his return to the cage as part of ONE Championship's first-ever card in the United States—numbered ONE Fight Night 10—in a submission grappling match against Tye Ruotolo.

De Ridder has ardently been preparing for the bout and credited Nicholas Meregali, Gordon Ryan and John Danaher—the former two being his peers while the latter serving as his coach.

"It's been a huge insight. It's been very useful. The way they look at is I look more refined than I do as an MMA fighter. They know all the intricate little details. I am putting all their tips to work right now. I think I'm really growing as a grappler, which is cool," he stated.

De Ridder's first submission grappling bout under the Singapore-based combat sports promotion came against Andre Galvao at ONE X in March 2022, which ended in a draw as neither was able to secure a winning performance.

As for Ruotolo, he and his brother Kade have been tearing it up in the organization.

Ruotolo has found himself in the winner's circle twice in as many forays inside the cage, with a nasty armbar victory over Marat Gafurov and a D'Arce choke against Garry Tonon in under two minutes.

His explosive athleticism on the mat has made him a fearsome competitor, but de Ridder's long limbs present him with a unique challenge to overcome that "The Dutch Knight" plans to realize.

"It's going to be a very dynamic and a very explosive match. Ten minutes seems like it's a long time, but for a grappling match, it's kind of short. The plan is to submit him. So, I'm going to be chasing him from the get-go. I'm going to make him work," de Ridder later stated.

ONE Fight Night 10 takes place at the 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado on May 5.