Former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier De Ridder has made his mark in the UFC, but his path to this MMA organization came with a stern warning about his previous employer. During a recent appearance on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry , the Dutch fighter delivered a blunt assessment that should serve as a cautionary tale for aspiring fighters.
“Sign with ONE championships… that’s something you should never do,” De Ridder stated emphatically. “I was stuck for the rest of five or six years after that.” His words carry the weight of experience from someone who dominated ONE FC’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, yet found himself trapped in what he describes as an increasingly problematic situation.
De Ridder’s journey to ONE Championship began when the UFC showed no interest despite his impressive 8-0 or 9-0 regional record in Europe. With limited options and no Contender Series available at the time, ONE FC’s offer seemed attractive. The promotion initially impressed him with innovative rules like allowing knees to grounded opponents, efforts to combat weight cutting, and unique Muay Thai competitions with smaller gloves.
However, the honeymoon period didn’t last. “We had a great time there, in one first couple of years were amazing,” De Ridder explained. “But I think just somewhere along the line, money started running out and they made a lot of dumb decisions.” The financial struggles became increasingly apparent as the promotion struggled to provide regular fight opportunities for their contracted athletes.
The most frustrating aspect wasn’t just the lack of activity, but the contractual stranglehold that prevented competitors from seeking opportunities elsewhere. “They couldn’t get people fights, but they wouldn’t let them go and fight somewhere else. So it kind of just screwed everybody up,” De Ridder revealed. This created a nightmare scenario where talented fighters were left in limbo, unable to compete regularly while being contractually bound to an organization that couldn’t fulfill its obligations.
The contrast with his current UFC experience couldn’t be more stark. “The coolest thing is mostly activity,” he said about joining the world’s leading MMA promotion. “I finish a fight and I know they’re going to be calling me on Tuesday saying, ‘We got a new fight for you.'” This consistent activity represents everything that was missing during his ONE FC tenure.
De Ridder’s warning extends beyond just the financial mismanagement. The psychological toll of being “stuck” in an organization that couldn’t provide regular competition opportunities affected not just his career trajectory but his overall well-being as a professional athlete. “It was always so stressful in one that after a fight I would get home and we were just basically at the end begging to get fights and it never happened.”
De Ridder is now thriving in the UFC middleweight division, with impressive victories over Kevin Holland and Robert Whittaker.
