‘The World Is Not Just PlayStation And Instagram’ – Reinier De Ridder’s Advice To The Next Generation
Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder believes that passing martial arts on to the next generation is one of the most important things he can do to secure a lasting legacy.
De Ridder – who puts his middleweight gold on the line against Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov in the main event of ONE: FULL CIRCLE this Friday, 25 February – feels that it’s his duty to spread the benefit of training to the young people in his community.
As the co-owner of Combat Brothers in Breda, Netherlands, the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion juggles running the gym alongside his career as an elite competitor. It doesn’t leave time for much else, but he knows he can use his passion for martial arts as a vehicle to help others.
De Ridder said:
“With the gym, we try to bring in as many kids as possible and teach as many kids as possible. That’s important for me, and this is my way to give back. I don’t have a lot of time to do volunteer stuff, but I can try to inspire the kids around me to pick up martial arts. It’s a great tool for me, and I hope to bring it to as many people as I can. That’s the thing that’s most close to my heart.”
“The Dutch Knight” is leading from the front by showcasing his incredible skills on the global stage. With a perfect 14-0 record, De Ridder can continue to reach new people with his success.
However, given the increased amount of time that people spend online these days, the 31-year-old wants to keep promoting the benefits of physical activity by getting them on the mats. He added:
“I’ll try and bring people into the gym, inspire them with positive stuff, show them that the world is not just PlayStation and Instagram. And I’ll keep people normal for a few more years if possible.”
Will De Ridder Keep Building His Legacy In Singapore?
For Reinier de Ridder to continue spreading his influence at such an exponential rate, he must win when he takes on ONE Welterweight World Champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov at ONE: FULL CIRCLE inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
As usual, however, the Dutchman is incredibly confident in his ability to do just that.
De Ridder said:
“He’s a durable fighter. He’s a good fighter all round. I just think I’m on another level, and I’ll showcase that. But I’m not underestimating him. I see his technique is crisp. I see he has got championship heart. But once I get a hold of that neck, I’ll finish anybody in the world.”
“The Dutch Knight” is also eyeing up the promotion’s biggest names, which would put even more eyes on his quest to go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
While he’s not too fussed about who he faces next, he has some legends of the game in his sights to show that he can tussle with the best.
The two-division World Champion said:
“I’d still like the [Arjan] Bhullar fight. He’s been running from it for a while, and it might be time to do it. But the other guys are fine as well – Brandon Vera. [Leandro] Ataides is the only one that got away. Maybe one of the Japanese legends if they can come through, [Yushin] Okami, or ‘Sexyama’ [Yoshihiro Akiyama]. Whoever, whenever, whatever weight they want.”
Read more: ‘Dream On’ – Kiamrian Abbasov Laughs Off Reinier De Ridder Ahead Of Their ONE
