"I can bring a couple of Dagestanis and Chechens" - Reinier de Ridder calls Khamzat Chimaev simpler puzzle to solve compared to Dricus du Plessis

Reinier de Ridder recently expressed confidence in his chances against Khamzat Chimaev in comparison to Dricus du Plessis. De Ridder also stated that he aims to face both fighters at some point in the future.

De Ridder, who is on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, will be paying close attention to the upcoming middleweight title matchup between du Plessis and Chimaev in the headliner for UFC 319 on Aug. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.

Ahead of the title fight, 'RDR' spoke to Brett Okamoto on ESPN MMA's YouTube channel and said that du Plessis would be a tougher matchup for him than Chimaev:

''[Chimaev] would be like an easier guy to prepare for. Not that he is an easier fight, but he is more of a typical style. I can bring a couple of Dagestanis and a couple of Chechens in who wrestle pretty similar to Hamza. He boxes pretty cleanly, like boxing, boxing style. So yeah, that is not that spectacular, not that special in a sense that it's not as weird as [du Plessis] is you know. it'll be harder to prepare for [du Plessis] but if he wins he might be the bigger name but in my mind I'm fighting both those guys in the next six to nine months anyway.''

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Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below (via Red Corner MMA X post):

In his most recent octagon outing at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, de Ridder faced former champion Robert Whittaker and secured a split decision victory. As a result, the Dutch fighter climbed to fifth in the middleweight rankings and now hopes to earn a title shot next.

Reinier de Ridder talks about his UFC future

Following his win over Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi, Reinier de Ridder appeared on the ESPN MMA post-fight show and discussed his next steps.

De Ridder suggested a few potential opponents, saying:

''It's been a crazy year. I've said all week..Four fights, three finishes, almost finished Rob [Whittaker]. Life is good...I’m a top-five guy now. So, yeah, I would say Dricus [du Plessis], I would say Khamzat (next). … I’m thinking of Dricus (winning at UFC 319). He has the Dutch genes, like me. I think Dricus, but we’ll see. Adesanya would also be nice. That is a dream matchup. That would be a nice first title defense.''

Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below (2:59):

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Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena