Reinier de Ridder confident he could beat Khamzat Chimaev after finishing Bo Nickal
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UFC Des Moines: Reinier de Ridder post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 67 winner Reinier de Ridder talks to reporters post-fight after his second-round TKO of Bo Nickal in Des Moines, Iowa.
Reinier de Ridder sees a fight with Khamzat Chimaev materializing soon.
De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) handed Bo Nickal his first-career loss in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 67 co-main event at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The former ONE dual-champion called out Sean Strickland after the fight and sees another big name potentially on the horizon. He believes he can become the first to crack the code of elite grappler Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC).
"That's one that I see happening pretty quickly," De Ridder told Submission Radio. "We've had some rounds together. I think I have a good shot in a fight (with Chimaev). What makes him special is the aggression that he comes out with.
"I think a lot of people get overwhelmed by how explosive he comes out and how hard he chases the back right away. That's mostly what makes him so dangerous. We've seen a lot from him already, we've seen him go the distance a couple of times."
De Ridder just took out a standout wrestler in Nickal. He was ready wherever the fight went but knew the battle would be won in the clinch – and that's where De Ridder was able to overpower Nickal and eventually finish him with knees to the body in Round 2.
"I wasn't scared of his wrestling. I wasn't scared of anything he brings," De Ridder said of Nickal. "I made a choice to really focus on the stuff I brought to the fight in this one, and I think that's important for anybody to know."
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