Former ONE C’ship Double Champion Names His UFC Hitlist After Joining Promotion

Former ONE Championship two-division titleholder Reinier De Ridder is the UFC’s latest notable signee, and he believes he’s primed to take on the challenges within the promotion’s highly competitive middleweight division. “The Dutch Knight” dominated the ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight divisions from November 2020 until this past March. During his tenure, De Ridder […]

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Former ONE Championship two-division titleholder Reinier De Ridder is the UFC’s latest notable signee, and he believes he’s primed to take on the challenges within the promotion’s highly competitive middleweight division.

“The Dutch Knight” dominated the ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight divisions from November 2020 until this past March. During his tenure, De Ridder initially rode high on the momentum of a seven-fight win streak.

However, his reign came to an abrupt end as he suffered consecutive defeats to Anatoly Malykhin, resulting in the loss of both titles. De Ridder boasts a professional MMA record of 17-2, with an impressive 11 of those victories coming by way of submission.

De Ridder is fresh off a first-round knockout victory against Magomedmurad Khasaev at UAE Warriors this past July, and the 34-year-old Dutchman is confident he can harness that momentum as he makes his entrance into the UFC.

De Ridder Sets Sights on Top-5 Rivals Following UFC Debut

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, De Ridder revealed his aspirations for dream matchups within the UFC. “The Dutch Knight” expressed a strong desire to challenge himself against the reigning middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, as well as former titleholders such as Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland.

The grappling prodigy emphasized that he has no time to squander now that he’s joined the UFC, and he’s eager to take on high-profile opponents.

“Right now. Let’s go,” De Ridder said. “I’m ready. That’s what I’m here for. It would be so cool to finally get a shot at those guys. They’ve been around for so long. I’ve been around for a little while now, as well, so it would be very cool to finally get a chance to fight those guys… Adesanya, Dricus, Strickland, all of them. Why not?”

However, before “The Dutch Knight” can focus on his desired matchups, he must first conquer veteran Gerald Meerschaert in his promotional debut at a Fight Night event on November 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Continue Reading Former ONE C’ship Double Champion Names His UFC Hitlist After Joining Promotion at MMA News.

Dricus du Plessis reacts to Khamzat Chimaev barb: ‘Before you catch another cold’

Dricus du Plessis reacts to Khamzat Chimaev barb: 'Before you catch another cold'Undisputed middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has added fuel to the fire of his rivalry with the unbeaten, Khamzat…

Dricus du Plessis reacts to Khamzat Chimaev barb: 'Before you catch another cold'

Undisputed middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has added fuel to the fire of his rivalry with the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev ahead of his return at UFC 308 last month — urging him to not withdraw from an Abu Dhabi return — poking fun at his recent exit from a summer comeback.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 304 back in August in Perth, Australia — successfully defending his titleholder for the first time in a dominant, eventual fourth round rear-naked choke submission win over former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya.

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As for the undefeated, Chimaev, the Chechen-born challenger has been out of action since he co-headlined UFC 294 a year ago in the Middle East — narrowly retaining his unbeaten record in a contentious majority decision win over former undisputed welterweight gold holder, Kamaru Usman.

And booked to headline UFC Fight Night Riyadh back in June in Saudi Arabia, the unbeaten, Chimaev was ruled from a matchup with former middleweight kingpin, Robert Whittaker — with an apparent “violent” illness forcing the AllStars MMA staple from his premiere headliner in the promotion.

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Dricus du Plessis pokes fun at Khamzat Chimaev’s inactivity

However, now booked co-main event UFC 308 at the end of next month in a rescheduled five round clash with the above-mentioned, Whittaker, Chimaev was the subject of a barb from South African star, Dricus du Plessis — who mocked his recent inactivity.

Robert Whittaker - Khamzat Chimaev off, then back on as UFC 308 co-Main event fight

“Put on a shirt princess before you catch another cold,” Dricus du Plessis posted in response to a social media status from the above-mentioned, Khamzat Chimaev.

Expected to take on former champion, Sean Strickland in a title fight rematch next — du Plessis is also sure to have his sights firmly set on the outcome of next month’s title eliminator between Chimaev and the above-mentioned Whittaker — whom he stopped with a brutal knockout last year during International Fight Week.

South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently revealed that negotiations are underway for a potential UFC event in Cape Town, with Dricus Du Plessis slated to headline. The reigning UFC middleweight champion has been very adamant in his push to bring the promotion to his homeland of South Africa for the first time. His campaign […]

Continue Reading South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’ at MMA News.

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently revealed that negotiations are underway for a potential UFC event in Cape Town, with Dricus Du Plessis slated to headline.

The reigning UFC middleweight champion has been very adamant in his push to bring the promotion to his homeland of South Africa for the first time. His campaign gained momentum after he secured the title with a hard-fought split decision victory over former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.

The push for the event seemed to lose steam as the UFC had already locked in most of its venues for the upcoming quarter. However, the topic gained traction again before UFC 305 last month when UFC CEO Dana White hinted that if ‘Stillknocks’ could defeat fellow African star Israel Adesanya, the promotion would seriously consider bringing an event to South Africa.

With Du Plessis’ impressive submission victory over “The Last Stylebender,” it seems his wish is finally coming to fruition. Positive developments have been steadily aligning, especially after White, during the Noche UFC 306 post-fight press conference, confirmed that he’s “very serious” about hosting a UFC event in Africa.

McKenzie Confirms Du Plessis As Headliner For Potential UFC Africa Event, Host City Remains Up In The Air

According to multiple media reports, the DHL Stadium in Cape Town is in talks to construct a temporary roof at an estimated cost of R30 million (around $1.7 million) in preparation for hosting a UFC event in 2025. The 55,000-seat arena was one of the flagship venues during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Following these reports, the South African sports minister recently took to X to acknowledge that they are on the brink of sealing the deal to bring Du Plessis’ next fight to Africa. However, he also noted that the choice of host city is yet to be finalized.

“I see news articles about @UFCfight of @dricusduplessis happening in Cape Town,” McKenzie tweeted. “We are in the final stages of negotiating for the fight to happen in South Africa. We have not been given the green light. We will know by the end of October, no decision of hosting city can be made yet.”

With the host city still up in the air, the question of who ‘Stillknocks’ will face in his next title defense remains equally uncertain. Rumors are circulating, with some hinting at a possible rematch against Strickland.

Alternatively, Du Plessis has also suggested moving up a weight class to challenge reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira — or perhaps Pereira could move down to face him, a possibility he himself has hinted at.

However, “Poatan” is already scheduled to defend his light heavyweight crown against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5. Only time will reveal who will ultimately stand across from Du Plessis in the Octagon at the much-anticipated showdown on African soil.

Continue Reading South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’ at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship crowning. As a result, the bantamweight kingpin has debuted on the P4P list at #7, one position above interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. Further up, welterweight champ Belal Muhammad (#5) has jumped his middleweight counterpart Dricus Du Plessis (#6).

The defeated O’Malley, meanwhile, has slid seven positions to #13. Dvalishvili’s friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling is out of the top 15 entirely following the Georgian’s arrival.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Valentina Shevchenko is once again the flyweight queen, and she’s also back on the P4P mountaintop. “Bullet” has climbed two places back to top spot, while previous #1 Alexa Grasso has fallen to #3 following her lopsided loss to Shevchenko in their trilogy.

Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

Women’s Flyweight: The sole change at 125 pounds has seen Grasso slip back to top contender status, swapping positions with now-champ Shevchenko.

Women’s Bantamweight: Norma Dumont secured the biggest win of her career in the Noche UFC featured prelim, outpointing a badly damaged Irene Aldana. The result has seen the Brazilian ascend by three positions to #5 at 135 pounds. The defeated Mexican, on the other hand, is down just one spot to #6.

Flyweight: In the male 125-pound weight class, Asu Almabayev has moved up one place to share #14 with the recently retired Matt Schnell.

Bantamweight: Like in the women’s flyweight division, the only change in the men’s 135-pound division came with the switch on the throne. With Dvalishvili now occupying it, O’Malley is the #1-ranked bantamweight.

Featherweight: The biggest climber this week is the charging Diego Lopes, who got the better of former two-time title challenger and longtime top-five contender Brian Ortega on Saturday night. The Mexico-residing Brazilian has risen by a mammoth 10 positions to #3. “T-City,” meanwhile, has been relegated to #5.

With Movsar Evloev staying put at #6, the changes have led to a two-place fall to #7 for Arnold Allen.

Lightweight: No changes.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: No changes.

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship crowning. As a result, the bantamweight kingpin has debuted on the P4P list at #7, one position above interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. Further up, welterweight champ Belal Muhammad (#5) has jumped his middleweight counterpart Dricus Du Plessis (#6).

The defeated O’Malley, meanwhile, has slid seven positions to #13. Dvalishvili’s friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling is out of the top 15 entirely following the Georgian’s arrival.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Valentina Shevchenko is once again the flyweight queen, and she’s also back on the P4P mountaintop. “Bullet” has climbed two places back to top spot, while previous #1 Alexa Grasso has fallen to #3 following her lopsided loss to Shevchenko in their trilogy.

Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

Women’s Flyweight: The sole change at 125 pounds has seen Grasso slip back to top contender status, swapping positions with now-champ Shevchenko.

Women’s Bantamweight: Norma Dumont secured the biggest win of her career in the Noche UFC featured prelim, outpointing a badly damaged Irene Aldana. The result has seen the Brazilian ascend by three positions to #5 at 135 pounds. The defeated Mexican, on the other hand, is down just one spot to #6.

Flyweight: In the male 125-pound weight class, Asu Almabayev has moved up one place to share #14 with the recently retired Matt Schnell.

Bantamweight: Like in the women’s flyweight division, the only change in the men’s 135-pound division came with the switch on the throne. With Dvalishvili now occupying it, O’Malley is the #1-ranked bantamweight.

Featherweight: The biggest climber this week is the charging Diego Lopes, who got the better of former two-time title challenger and longtime top-five contender Brian Ortega on Saturday night. The Mexico-residing Brazilian has risen by a mammoth 10 positions to #3. “T-City,” meanwhile, has been relegated to #5.

With Movsar Evloev staying put at #6, the changes have led to a two-place fall to #7 for Arnold Allen.

Lightweight: No changes.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: No changes.

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis at MMA News.

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat ChimaevUndisputed UFC middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has hit out at unbeaten challenger, Khamzat Chimaev — poking fun at…

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev

Undisputed UFC middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has hit out at unbeaten challenger, Khamzat Chimaev — poking fun at his history of failed returns to the Octagon, after the Chechen referred to him as a “gay” titleholder on social media.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight gold holder, most recently headlined UFC 305 last month in Perth, Australia — successfully defending his divisional crown for the first time.

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Laying waste to the returning former two-time middleweight titleholder, Israel Adesanya, Pretoria native, Dricus du Plessis managed to wrap up a fourth round win over the City Kickboxing star — courtesy of a rear-naked choke stoppage ‘Downunder.

And expected to return in a title fight rematch with number one ranked contender, Sean Strickland early in 2025, du Plessis reign is at stake according to unbeaten contender, Chimaev — who referred to him as “gay” — calling his sexual preference into question.

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We need to get that title back for the normal people, man,” Khamzat Chimaev said during an X Spaces session. “This gay champion have the belt now.”

Dricus du Plessis pokes fun at Khamzat Chimaev’s inactivity from the Octagon

Sidelined for a year by the time his return to action rolls around next month, undefeated challenger, Chimaev is slated to co-headline UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, taking on former champion, Robert Whittaker over the course of five rounds.

And ruled from a June comeback against the soon-to-be common-foe amid a reported “violent” illness, Chimaev was hit out at by South African champion, du Plessis, who urged him to just finally made good on a return to active competition.

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“You just focus on trying to make it to a fight, any fight!” Dricus du Plessis posted on X in response to Khamzat Chimaev.

In his most recent win, Chechen contender, Chimaev landed a controversial majority decision win against former champion and pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 back in October of last year in the Middle East.