Reinier de Ridder is ready to step in if Khamzat Chimaev steps out.
‘RDR’ will be back in action this Saturday when the UFC heads to Abu Dhabi for a loaded Fight Night card in Etihad Arena. After taking Bo Nickal’s ‘O’ in his last outing, de Ridder will look to skyrocket himself up the middleweight rankings when he meets ex-titleholder and current fifth-ranked contender, Robert Whittaker.
And while de Ridder is focused on getting the biggest win of his career in the UAE, he’s keeping his fingers crossed that the UFC will call him to step in and fight reigning 185-pound champion Dricus Du Plessis in August.
“I’m still hoping Khamzat pulls out last minute for UFC 319,” de Ridder told Submission Radio. “It’s two weeks after my fight, so maybe we get lucky.”
Chimaev is currently scheduled to challenge ‘DDP’ next month in Chicago. However, the undefeated Chechen monster has a history of pulling out of fights. The most infamous incident came in September 2022 when Chimaev stepped on the scale significantly overweight for his scheduled headliner with Nate Diaz at UFC 279.
Before that, Chimaev backed out of fights with former welterweight king Leon Edwards no less than three times, and forced the UFC to reschedule his October clash with Robert Whittaker, which was expected to go down four months prior.
de Ridder could punch his ticket to a title shot in Abu Dhabi
As for de Ridder, the former two-division ONE world champion is riding high after bagging a trio of finishes against Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and the former Nittany Lion.
With a win over ‘The Reaper’ in Abu Dhabi, de Ridder could very well be the next man in line for a shot at the middleweight crown. Whether or not that opportunity comes as a short-notice replacement remains to be seen.
