For Reinier de Ridder, it is top five or bust in his next matchup.
Dutch grappler De Ridder (20-2) co-headlined UFC on ESPN 67 opposite Nickal (7-1) at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday. While de Ridder closed in as a hefty betting underdog ahead of the pairing, he surprised everyone by choosing to wrestle the former three-time NCAA Division I champ right from the start. De Ridder spoiled Nickal’s unbeaten record by folding him with knees to the body in the second round.
“The Dutch Knight” then called out Sean Strickland, a decision he admitted he might already regret due to the former champ’s well-known trash talk.