Day: 4. Mai 2025

[embedded content] For Reinier de Ridder, it is top five or bust in his next matchup.

Dutch grappler De Ridder (20-2) co-headlined UFC on ESPN 67 opposite Nickal (7-1) at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday. While de Ridder closed in as a hefty betting underdog ahead of the pairing, he surprised everyone by choosing to wrestle the former three-time NCAA Division I champ right from the start. De Ridder spoiled Nickal’s unbeaten record by folding him with knees to the body in the second round.

“The Dutch Knight” then called out Sean Strickland, a decision he admitted he might already regret due to the former champ’s well-known trash talk. But De Ridder believes Strickland is an interesting matchup for him stylistically, and can’t want to get the bout booked. De Ridder said at the UFC Des Moines post-fight presser:

“I think I might be regretting it a little bit,” De Ridder remarked later that night after calling out Strickland in the Octagon. “But…

𝙍𝘼𝙕𝙃𝘼𝘽𝘼𝙇𝙄 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙋𝙎 𝙆𝙇𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙍 𝙄𝙉 𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 1️⃣‼️

The 𝑵𝑬𝑾 RIZIN Featherweight Champion!

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[ #RIZINOtokoMatsuri | Live on RIZINtv ]🔗 https://t.co/SJYljaZ7L1 pic.twitter.com/h0WWgIfuyi — RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) May 4, 2025

A new Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight champion was crowned in quick and emphatic fashion in the main event of Rizin “Otoko Matsuri” in Tokyo. Undefeated Kyrgyz standout Rajabali Shaidullaev knocked out defending champion Kleber Koike Erbst in just 62 seconds to become Rizin’s newest 145-pound titleholder.

Shaidullaev (14-0, 4-0 Rizin) traded strong leg kicks with Koike (34-8-1, 1 NC; 9-3, 1 NC Rizin) early in the fight before marching forward and backing Koike up against the ropes. He stunned Koike with a right hook to the temple and then dropped him face-first to the mat with a second right hand that landed on the top of Koike’s head. Koike clinging to consciousness, referee Minoru Toyonaga waved off the …

Reinier de Ridder finishes Bo Nickal in round 2! #UFCDesMoines pic.twitter.com/LrDXr1QT2m

— Haduucken III (@HaduuckenIII) May 4, 2025

The headliner and co-headliner stole the show at UFC Des Moines.

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Four performance bonuses were handed at the event, also known as UFC on ESPN 67, which went down at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Saturday.

Cory Sandhagen (18-5) and Deiveson Figueiredo (24-5) clashed in a bantamweight affair in the main event. “Sandman” was a massive favorite and justified the odds with a dominating “Performance of the Night” award to bag $50,000. Sandhagen outgunned Figueiredo in every aspect before the former flyweight champ visibly covered up in agony due to a knee injury in the second round.

Former two-division One Championship champ Reinier de Ridder (20-2) earned another POTN bonus for his finish of Bo Nickal (7-1) in the co-headliner. Ridder stopped Nickal with a massive knee to the bo…