Former One Champion Makes UFC Vegas 100 Debut Against Record-Breaking Submission Holder

Reinier De Ridder was a two-time ONE Championship champion. Photo: Reproduction/ONE.

In addition to the biggest fight of his career, Carlos Prates, ufc vegas 100 brings one of the most interesting debuts in recent times. Reinier de Ridder, former One Championship double champion, makes his first fight in the organization on the main card against the veteran Gerald meerschaert, in the middleweight category (up to 83,9 kg). Close to making his debut in the biggest MMA event in the world, the Dutchman has high expectations.

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“Finally, after all these years of talking about the top guys, to finally be close to winning them is really cool. The most important thing is Gerald first. It’s a really cool matchup. It’s cool that it’s here. … Let’s see what I can do,” the fighter said during the media day of the ufc vegas 100.

In addition to talking about the satisfaction of fighting in the UFC, de Ridder made it clear that he feels the need to put on a great performance in order to stand out in the category.

“One win is not enough. The best have finished Gerald and I want to prove that I am one of them. It is a great fight. I am very happy that they gave me him for my first fight because he is a veteran, he is a real name and I think if I can beat him well, I will have some advantage to start mentioning bigger names”, he said.

Record holder for submissions

De Ridder also praised his opponent's achievements. A black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu, the Dutchman said he admired his opponent, who also has grappling as his main skill.

“To be honest, if I can get anywhere near one of the records he holds, that would be amazing. It’s great to see him fight, I’ve always watched his fights and it’s great for this fight as well. There’s a lot to learn. He has a very difficult style.

In almost eight years fighting in the UFC, Gerald meerschaert has the highest number of submission wins in the entire middleweight category (up to 83,9 kg). In addition, in his last appearance the American surpassed Anderson Silva and became the athlete with the most victories on the fast track in the category.

G. Meerschaert in victory over D. Winn. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc