LAS VEGAS – Reinier de Ridder is searching for a memorable introduction to the octagon Saturday towards Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Struggle Evening 247.
Former two-division ONE Championship titleholder de Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his anticipated entry to promotion when he takes on all-time middleweight finishes and submissions document holder Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) on the UFC Apex (ESPN+).
It’s been a longtime dream of de Ridder to struggle within the octagon, and he thinks matchmakers giving him an opponent like Meerschaert proper off the bat exhibits he’s being set as much as make some noise.
“Lastly, in spite of everything these years of speaking in regards to the prime guys, to lastly be near getting them may be very cool,” de Ridder advised MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Struggle Evening 247 media day. “A very powerful that is Gerald first. It’s a really cool matchup. It’s cool that it’s right here. … Let’s see what I can do.”
At 34, time is of the essence for de Ridder. He mentioned he feels contemporary and wholesome after a lot of day off throughout his closing years beneath the ONE Championship banner, and is eager to “make up for misplaced time” now that he’s within the UFC.
So as to get the alternatives he needs, although, de Ridder is aware of he can’t scrape by with a win. He must do one thing emphatic towards Meerschaert, and that’s precisely his intentions.
“A win is just not sufficient – the highest canine completed Gerald and I wish to show I’m one among them,” de Ridder mentioned. “To be trustworthy, if I can ever get near one of many data he holds, it might be superb. So cool to see him struggle, I’ve at all times watched his fights and that’s an awesome factor for this struggle as nicely. There’s a lot tape to review. He has a lot fights. He has a extremely troublesome model.
“The methods he finishes fights, there’s a number of issues he’s very harmful at, there’s a number of issues he does that I feel I can actually capitalize as nicely. But it surely’s an awesome matchup. I’m very pleased that they’ve given me him for my first struggle as a result of he’s a veteran, he’s an actual title and I feel if I can put a stamp on this one, I’ve some leverage to begin calling out some larger names.”
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Struggle Evening 247.
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