Reinier de Ridder has a UFC legend by his side as he gears up for his potential No. 1 contender bout.
De Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) faces Brendan Allen (25-7 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 262 headliner on Oct. 18 in Vancouver. He was originally scheduled to meet Anthony Hernandez (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), before Hernandez withdrew due to injury.
Despite the opponent change, De Ridder still sees title implications with a win over Allen. Helping him try and achieve that goal is former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
“He’s a big part of it, as well, at the moment,” De Ridder told MMA Junkie Radio of Lawler. “It’s nice to have that inside (knowledge). All the knowledge that Robbie has in training is very useful. It’s very helpful. Technique-wise, he’s really helped me a lot. I think maybe personality-wise, we’re pretty similar. It’s a pretty good fit. But Henri (Hooft) is there, as well. I still really like working with Henri, as well. He’s there every day, so I’ve got a good group of guys around me.”
De Ridder stormed onto the UFC scene in late 2024 and has notched four UFC wins in less than a year. He positioned himself in the upper echelon of the division after outlasting ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the UFC on ABC 9 headliner in July.
