Reinier de Ridder urges fellow fighters not to sign with ONE Championship: “It is a bad mistake”
UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder has urged fellow fighters against signing with rival promotion ONE Championship.
Last weekend, Reinier de Ridder made a winning start to life in the UFC with a submission win over Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100. It’s a move that has been a long time coming, with de Ridder coming off the back of a strong run in ONE Championship.
RELATED: Pros react after Reinier de Ridder submits Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100
During his time there, he won world titles in two different weight classes. While he went on to eventually lose those belts, you would’ve thought he enjoyed his time in the promotion from the outside looking in.
However, as it turns out, that wasn’t the case, with de Ridder confirming this during the post-fight scrum.
de Ridder’s ONE Championship warning
“It’s been a bad couple of years,” De Ridder told the media. “The stress I’ve been put through, the stress my family was put through … even to get fights. It hasn’t been nice.
“It’s hard for me to talk bad because I had a couple of good years in ONE as well,” he added. “In the beginning, they treated me well, but over the past couple of years, it’s been really bad. This is something I feel I have to do for other fighters: If you think of signing with ONE Championship – don’t.
“It’s that simple,” he concluded. “You should not. There is nothing there. There is no fights. You’re just wrong if you do it. If you sign there, it is a bad mistake.”
Quotes via MMA Mania
Are you a fan of ONE Championship’s product and if so, why is that the case? What do you believe should be next for Reinier de Ridder in the UFC? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!
