Khamzat Chimaev is shaping up to be a formidable challenge for the middleweight division with his recent move to champion status. As the newly crowned titleholder, Chimaev called out potential challengers to defend his belt, setting the stage for his first middleweight title defense.
The UFC has announced that the next contender will be decided based on two pivotal fights: Reinier de Ridder facing Anthony Hernandez on October 18 and the main event at UFC Paris the following month. The results of these bouts will reveal who steps up to challenge Chimaev, whose undefeated run remains a daunting puzzle for all contenders.
Reinier de Ridder Considers Enlisting Bo Nickal’s Help to Prepare for Chimaev
Among the fighters in the running, Reinier de Ridder has already begun planning how he would prepare to face Khamzat Chimaev. Known as ‘The Dutch Knight,’ de Ridder is on a four-fight winning streak since joining the UFC less than a year ago, heightening the possibility that he could soon earn his title shot.
During a conversation with MMA Junkie, de Ridder was asked about his preparation for Chimaev’s dominant grappling style. Training at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, he has access to top-tier grapplers, but he also expressed interest in bringing in a renowned grappler he previously defeated, Bo Nickal, to strengthen his camp.
I was thinking, I might try and send him a message, but if I can get Bo Nickal out, that’d be amazing. That’d be great. That would be amazing for this fight especially. We’ll see.
—Reinier de Ridder, UFC Fighter
Nickal, once undefeated, had openly claimed that he would overpower Chimaev with his grappling if they ever faced off. Despite that, de Ridder doubts Nickal or the gyms they train with would be open to cross-training together due to their close affiliations but remains hopeful about reaching out.
Yeah, that’s true, but that might be a part of the problem as well because I don’t think they’re too open to cross training over there but we’ll see, I’ll send him a message, see what he says.
—Reinier de Ridder, UFC Fighter
De Ridder Questions Training Resources’ Impact on Dricus du Plessis’ UFC Performance
While de Ridder is confident in his own training environment, he has reflected thoughtfully on whether limited training partners might have affected other fighters, specifically Dricus du Plessis, during UFC 319. Du Plessis struggled to counter Chimaev’s wrestling dominance in that event.
De Ridder shared his contemplations about whether du Plessis had access to adequate high-level wrestling partners while training in South Africa, contrasting it with du Plessis’ previous stints training at Kill Cliff FC.
Something I’ve thought about regarding Dricus for over the last year and a bit is who is he actually training with there in South Africa? He’s always ready and he’s shown great fights and achieved a lot being there,
de Ridder said.
But, a couple of years ago, he was still coming over to Kill Cliff here. It’s just something I’ve wondered about, like does he even have high-level wrestlers to train with over there, because that might be something he’s missing I’d say.
—Reinier de Ridder, UFC Fighter
Next Steps in the Middleweight Division with Chimaev’s Title on the Line
The middleweight division remains intensely competitive as Khamzat Chimaev’s first title defense draws closer. The impending fights, featuring Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez and the UFC Paris headliner, will determine who can challenge the undefeated champion next.
De Ridder’s contemplative approach to his training camp, including the potential involvement of Bo Nickal, highlights how seriously contenders are preparing to face Chimaev’s dynamic skill set. This preparation underscores the magnitude of the challenge ahead and suggests that promising rivalries will continue to develop as they vie for the championship.