Latest news with #DeRidder
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder ready to step in for Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 if necessary
ABU DHABI – Reinier de Ridder plans on keeping a busy schedule if things fall into place for him. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 main event July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. De Ridder hopes to outbid the winner of Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho in the UFC Paris headliner on Sept. 6. "I'm leaning towards Imavov in that one just because he's so complete, so relaxed in there," De Ridder told MMA Junkie. "He seems to be very much in control, but hopefully it's just a boring fight, and nobody wants to watch, nothing happens. That will be ideal." The former two-division ONE champion has finished all three of his UFC opponents and knows he'll likely need one more definitive performance to cement his spot as No. 1 contender. "Hopefully if I can do well, it all depends on how the fight goes," De Ridder said. "Like a win is not enough. I need to finish him. I need to finish him early, hopefully spectacularly, and as I said, we all hope Imavov and Borralho is boring, goes five rounds, nothing happens. That would be perfect, or maybe Khamzat pulls out last minute and they give me a call. We'll see." Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) challenges middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in the UFC 319 main event on Aug. 16 from United Center in Chicago. Entering his fifth fight in less than a year, De Ridder wants to keep the ball rolling and will be ready to fill in for Chimaev if he withdraws – but would rather not weigh in as a backup. "I'll be ready to fight again, or as I said, I might be ready to step in last minute if necessary," De Ridder said. "So, we'll see what happens. Weighing in is the hardest part, so hopefully not weighing in at all. We'll see."
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder: Pressure key in beating Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9
ABU DHABI – Reinier de Ridder plans on bringing the fight to Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meets former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the July 26 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. De Ridder won't put too much stock into Whittaker's quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. Instead, he expects the version who blasted Ikram Aliskerov for a first-round knockout at UFC on ABC 6. "He's been at the top for so long. We've seen him win spectacularly. We've seen him lose spectacularly," De Ridder told MMA Junkie of Whittaker. "The Khamzat fight I don't put too much in because it was clear that that wasn't a great choke. The positioning wasn't perfect, the positioning of his arms wasn't perfect. I just think he got lucky there. That injury was already in place, and he was able to take advantage of that. "But a little while before that against Ikram (Aliskerov), he did amazing. Robert did very well, and it showed us how dangerous he still is. It's a great warning for me that I cannot go into the fight like Ikram did. I cannot give him space. I cannot give him time to look and see, because he has real knockout power, and very nice, clean, straight shots. I've got to be very mindful of that." De Ridder was able to walk down previously undefeated Bo Nickal, wear him out, and finish him at UFC on ESPN 67. He plans on doing the same to Whittaker. "The pressure is the most important thing for me," De Ridder said. "I've got to put pressure on him. I've got to bring the heat early because I cannot let him move. I cannot let him see what's happening. I cannot let him play. He likes to bounce. He likes to look, and I'm sure I'm going to take him down. It's what I like the most, and I have to put him on his ass at least once. But we'll see if I can do damage meanwhile before."
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder won't mind if Dricus Du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev wins at UFC 319
Reinier de Ridder has a vested interest in the UFC 319 main event. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will look to emerge into title contention when he takes on former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 main event July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Less than a month later, Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event from United Center in Chicago. De Ridder sees pros and cons to either fighter winning when it comes to his title run. "I think if it's going to be Khamzat, then it might slow everything a bit down because he doesn't really fight that often," De Ridder told MMA Junkie Radio. "So, that being said, it would be nice if it's Dricus, but I don't really mind too much. "Khamzat would be nice because he's more of a guy with hype behind him than Dricus does, even with Dricus being the champ. But we'll see. We'll see what happens, and I imagine I'll be fighting both of them before next year's over anyway." De Ridder has surprised in his UFC run so far, scoring finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently formerly unbeaten Bo Nickal at UFC on ESPN 67 in the span of six months. Nickal to Whittaker is a big step up in competition for the former ONE dual champion, but De Ridder doesn't see Whittaker underestimating him. "I don't know, he's not much of a trash talker anyway," De Ridder said of Whittaker. "I doubt we'll hear if he still doubts me, but we're going to find out. As you guys saw, the fights have been going very well, and I feel like I've really improved, as well, over the last year. Just because of the sheer amount I've been training with the guys of the highest level. So I don't think he's really doubting me, but we'll see."
Gulf Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Abu Dhabi adds four exciting bouts to UFC Fight Night
Four new bouts have been added to the card for Abu Dhabi's UFC FIGHT NIGHT, featuring Robert Whittaker and highly-rated Dutch standout Reinier de Ridder later this month, promising an action-packed night as the world's largest sports promotion returns to Abu Dhabi on July 26 at the Etihad Anrea. Among the new additions, UAE fans will be watching closely as Emirati lightweight Mohammed Yahya returns to the Octagon to face Dallas-based Steven Nguyen, with both fighters eager to secure their first UFC win in a clash that promises intensity from the opening bell. The fight card also now features an all-action welterweight clash between 41-year-old veteran Muslim Salikhov and Carlos 'The Lion' Leal, who is 10 years his opponent's junior. Salikhov, famously known as the 'King of Kung Fu' is one of the most creative and dangerous strikers in the division, while Leal's aggressive pace and fearless approach promise to bring fireworks to the Octagon. In the women's strawweight division, Brazilian stars Amanda Ribas and Tabatha Ricci are set for a must-watch showdown. Both are elite grapplers with strong judo and jiu-jitsu backgrounds, but they are also equally capable of standing and trading blows. Ribas returns to Abu Dhabi with fond memories, having secured a win during the UFC's Fight Island series in 2020. Her experience in the UAE could give her an edge, but Ricci's compact striking and tight ground game will present a serious challenge. Also newly added to the card, Da'Mon Blackshear and Davey Grant will face off in a bantamweight showdown. Blackshear enters the bout on a three-fight win streak, while Grant has claimed victory in three of his last four outings, setting up an enticing contest where something has got to give. Earlier, UFC CEO Dana White has revealed an incredible card for UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi at the iconic Etihad Arena in Yas Island. The main event will be headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker and de Ridder — whose seamless transition from the ONE Championship has been hugely impressive. White took to social media to announce what promises to be one of the most thrilling Fight Night cards of the year, which will see No12-ranked 185-pounder De Ridder, undefeated in his three UFC bouts to date, likely earn a middleweight title eliminator should he defeat Whittaker. 'De Ridder is a former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion and has finished every one he has fought in the UFC,' White said. 'He's coming off a win over the top prospect in the sport, Bo Nickal. If De Ridder can beat Whittaker, it's very likely he'll be fighting for the No1 contender bout next. 'I am pumped for this fight because these guys are both killers — and they always come out and deliver.' The main card boasts two five-round bouts and a stacked lineup of electrifying talent, former champions, and elite contenders — all coming together for one of the year's most anticipated international showcases, marking the 21st UFC event in Abu Dhabi since 2010.
American Press
04-07-2025
- General
- American Press
Fire Safety Camp as much fun for the firefighters as students
DeRidder Firefighter Operator Kaden Ramsey said his favorite part of Fire Safety Camp is the Tug of War competitions. (Special to the American Press) The DeRidder Fire Department hosted three weeks of Fire Safety Camp in June and now Fire Prevention Officer Adam Gray said they're already looking forward to next year and coming up with ideas on how it can be better than this year's camp. This was the first year the camp was divided up by grade levels and Williams said next year they are considering going off of the student's age rather than grade, to help prevent confusion and hopefully let more kids come to camp. He said they are also in talks to have more community involvement. He hopes to maybe get more First Aid involvement and possibly Wildlife Safety involved for next year. 'I feel like it's worked tremendously better dividing the age groups. We have a curriculum we go off of and for certain ages you're supposed to teach certain stuff and by dividing it up through the different age groups you can set up the appropriate level of education of stuff that we do teach them,' Gray said. Gray said having more agencies involved this year helped the camp improve. Several agencies came to camp this year to teach the kids and spend some time showing what they do. These agencies included Cleco, who also helped sponsor this year's camp; DeRidder Police Department;Louisiana State Forestry; American Red Cross; and there was also a field trip to the 911 office. 'I think going back to the roots and including others that don't always get a chance to teach kids, and having an opportunity for them to come in is beneficial,' Gray said. Kaden Ramsey, DeRidder Firefighter Operator, has worked at the camp for three years now and said his experience on separating the age groups really allowed them to tailor their experiences of camp. 'For us as the department, it allowed us to tailor our experiences and how we taught the kids the safety material, with the younger group you're not really able to teach stop, drop, and roll because they can't distinguish whether the house is on fire or their clothes is on fire, with the older kids we can teach them that sort of thing.' Ramsey said. Ramsey's favorite activity during camp is the tug of war with the kids. He said doing this with the kids allowed them to express their emotions and have a good time with the firefighters, while also having a team-building experience. He said it was a good ice breaker for the kids, as well. One of Ramsey's takeaways from this year's camp is something a student walked up to him and said. 'One of the students came up to me and said how much they enjoyed seeing us (firefighters) smiling. Whenever they said that it brightened my day. Usually when they see us we're working or something serious is going on like an emergency. It's good to see them in a nonemergency situation and it's good for the kids to see us the same way, therefore they know that we're just people, too, and we do smile and we do like to have fun,' Ramsey said. A room at camp was set up to show fire prevention tips and hazards. The kids were then able to point each hazard out and explain why it was hazardous and they learned how important it is to tell an adult to help prevent a fire from starting. The oldest group of kids (4th and 5th grade) also took a trip to 911 during camp. There they were able to speak with the person on the other side of the phone. 'For us as adults, we know when we call 911 it's a person, but for them, they don't really understand what's going on. This gives them a chance to meet the person and they're able to ask questions and 911 also explains why they ask the questions they do in an emergency situation,' Ramsey said. According to Ramsey, during camp the kids are taught the importance of knowing a phone number to call in case of an emergency and knowing their addresses to say in case a phone call needs to be made and they are asked those important questions. The kids are also taught to ask their parents where the exits are in their homes and the importance of working smoke alarms. Derek Plummer, captain of the DeRidder Fire Department, has been working at the camp since it started in 2017. Now he has kids of his own and loves getting to enjoy camp with them, as well. According to Plummer and Gray, the maze is a highlight for a lot of the kids at camp. The maze was built for the firemen to use for training, but it's become a very popular activity at camp. 'The maze was not just built for the kids, it was built for us to train in. We can do search and rescue survival type of stuff in it. Normally we wear our gear and we go through it and it helps us to stay prepared,' Plummer said. Plummer said each age group would get to go through a safety trailer and they would teach them how to do safety drills in the home. 'It teaches you how if you're home and it's dark and late at night and they wake up to their smoke alarm going off, the proper procedures and steps to safely get out of the home in a timely fashion and then where to go when they're exiting out of the home so they can wait on mom or dad and it gives them a plan that way if it ever happens they know what to do,' Plummer said. Each child had some homework during camp, as well. Plummer said how they would give the kids some homework each week and the homework was to talk to someone at home about preparing if they have a fire, what they would do and to create a plan as a family. They're taught to make a safe meeting location outside of their home and that way they can be reunited out of the home, whether it be in the yard somewhere or at the neighbors. 'This plan is also for the parents to not have to guess whether their child is still in the home, if they come out and see their children at the safe meeting location, they know everybody got out safely,' Plummer said. Plummer enjoyed seeing the kids learn and interact with the different agencies like the DeRidder Police Department. 'For all three weeks they got to see the Police Department and got to see their unit and have a tour of their unit, it's not all about just us, we're bringing in other agencies,' Plummer said. 'They get to see all these emergency services and how we come together and we don't place one above the other, we all have our parts,' Plummer said. Plummer's favorite part of camp is being with the kids and teaching them. 'I had one student come up and say how we need to do this more often, like more than once a year because they enjoy it so much,' Plummer said. 'We do this so the kids can see that behind all the flashing lights and sirens we're all just people that do this for a living and we can come together and have fun.'
