Khamzat Chimaev hit with sly warning as Reinier de Ridder muses potential matchup with Chechen: "I know how it goes"

Surging UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder sent a warning to Khamzat Chimaev and the rest of the division at UFC on ESPN 67 last weekend. 'The Dutch Knight', who is a former two-division ONE world champion before entering the UFC, stopped the previously undefeated Bo Nickal inside two rounds.

It was one of the biggest upsets of 2025 so far, as Nickal is considered to be one of the most promising wrestlers to ever grace the octagon. Another powerful wrestler De Ridder has his sights on is the Chechen-born Khamzat Chimaev, whom he sees facing in the near future.

In an interview with Submission Radio, De Ridder was asked how a bout between him and 'Borz' would play out. 'RDR' said (16:21):

"Yeah, that's a very cool one. That's one that I see happening pretty quickly. I know how it goes down. We've had some rounds together [in the gym]. I think I have a good shot in the fight, yeah."

Listen to Reinier de Ridder here:

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Reinier de Ridder breaks down what makes Khamzat Chimaev dangerous inside the cage

When asked if his significant experience training and sparring with Khamzat Chimaev would play a big role if ever they fight, Reinier de Ridder pointed out that it's been four to five years since he and 'Borz' locked horns in the gym.

The two fighters have evolved in their games and the Dutchman isn't sure if their time in the training room together would play a major factor in their potential fight.

However, he gave some deep insight on what makes Chimaev so effective inside the octagon, saying (16:58):

"I think what makes him [Chimaev] special is the aggression that he comes out with and... they [his opponents] get overwhelmed. They get overwhelmed by how explosive he comes out and how hard he chases the back right away. So yeah that's mostly what makes him so so dangerous. We've seen a lot from him already. We've seen a lot of fights from him already."

The two times Khamzat Chimaev heard the scorecards in the UFC were after very telling bouts against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns - both known grapplers.

Against Usman, Chimaev was able to secure the takedown after numerous attempts. However, he wasn't able to finish 'The Nigerian Nightmare' after failing to overwhelm him with his early blitz.

As for Burns, 'Durinho' basically threatened Chimaev early with his submission game off of his back, basically forcing 'Borz' to keep the fight standing. What transpired was a back-and-forth slugfest that could have gone either way.