Despite Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance, Reinier de Ridder sees him as an easier fight to prep for than Dricus Du Plessis.
De Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) emerged as a top contender when he edged out former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ABC 9 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
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De Ridder awaits the winner of the upcoming middleweight title fight between champion Du Plessis and Chimaev, which headlines UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago. De Ridder expects to face both fighters down the line, but explained why Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) wouldn’t be difficult to get ready for.
“He would be an easier guy to prepare for,” de Ridder told ESPN MMA. “Not that he’s an easier fight, but he’s more of a typical style. I can bring a couple of Dagestanis and a couple of Chechens who wrestle pretty similar to Khamzat. He boxes pretty cleanly. It’s not that special in a sense that it’s not as weird as Dricus is. It would be harder to prepare for (Du Plessis), but if (Chimaev) wins, he might be the bigger name.”
As for Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC), de Ridder says the champion gave him an interesting look in sparring that’s hard to mimic.
“If there’s one guy who’s hard to study, it’s him,” de Ridder said of Du Plessis. “He doesn’t do the same thing twice. He’s so awkward, so unpredictable. I need more time studying him. He does a lot of awkward stuff, and I sparred him a couple of years ago at Kill Cliff, and what really stands out is the way he kicks.
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“His kicks come from such a weird angle with the knees slightly in. It was very hard for me to judge where it was going to go – if it was going to be a middle, high, or low kick. So, it’s going to be very hard to find a guy to emulate him. There’s nobody else who moves like that.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Reinier de Ridder: Khamzat Chimaev easier to prep for than Dricus Du Plessis