Unlike boxing, Dana White has struck a masterful chord in making the UFC a household name by bringing all the top fighters under one roof. Even with a sizable roster, the UFC has continued to reel in big names from rival promotions in the past year, landing big names like Michael Venom Page and Kayla Harrison. Meanwhile, Dana White has once again struck gold, bringing in a big player as two-division ONE champion Reinier de Ridder joins his promotion.
Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the fold of UFC fighters, with multiple sources confirming that ‘The Dutch Knight‘ has signed a deal with the promotion. However, details regarding his debut in the octagon—such as the date or opponent—remain undisclosed. Talking about his career, De Ridder, who has a record of 17 wins and 2 losses, last graced the cage in July, where he showed his striking prowess by securing a first-round knockout at UAE Warriors.
Meanwhile, in ONE Championship, he made a solid 7-2 record. Thanks to his grappling skills, he snagged two titles from champ Aung La N Sang. Subsequently losing them against Anatoly Malykhin. With his impressive career and solid performances, it’s clear that, despite his age, RDR has become one of the UFC’s most buzzworthy signings. Interestingly, Dana White was completely in the dark about it.
Dana White Claims He Didn’t Know UFC Signed Reinier de Ridder
It’s a given that Dana White is typically the first to know about everything happening in the UFC. His finger is usually on the pulse of every major decision and signing. So, it’s pretty shocking to hear that he was in the dark about something significant. In a surprising turn of events, White recently admitted he had no idea about Reinier de Ridder’s addition to the roster.
At the press conference after this week’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, when White was asked about the new signee, he said, “Sh*t I don’t know about that.” It’s rare for the UFC president to be caught off guard, highlighting just how quickly things are changing in the organization.
As White mentioned, Sean and Mick were responsible for all of this, and considering how large the company has become, he might have missed the news. However, it’s still hard to believe that the organization signed a major name from ONE, and White wasn’t in the loop about it. Meanwhile, it will be exciting to see what he has to offer after showing his class at ONE Championship.
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