Reinier de Ridder has been frustrated, to say the least, after sitting on the sidelines for 10 months, with his two ONE Championship world titles gathering dust. “The Dutch Knight” (14-0) is in the conversation for the Asian promotion’s pound-for-pound greatest fighter, but he has seen his calls for a return to the Circle fall on deaf ears since taking a second belt off Aung La N Sang in April 2021. Now the middleweight and light heavyweight king is finally back, in a champion-vs-champion clash against Kiamrian Abbasov, the ruler of ONE’s welterweight division, at February 25’s Full Circle event. “I’m happy it’s finally materialising,” De Ridder told the Post . “Hopefully nothing happens, and we get to throw down in February.” He hasn’t always been happy – it was just a month ago the 31-year-old was calling out everybody under the sun, including heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar. He even jokingly offered to fight flyweight MMA legend Demetrious Johnson and his upcoming opponent, the Muay Thai champ Rodtang Jitmuangnon, at the same time. “I definitely felt left out,” De Ridder said. “If this was my profession, my only way of making money, it would be a problem. But I have other things going on, so I’m in a luxury position.” ONE: Brooks says Pacio ‘should be afraid’, calls for title shot “But still, these are my prime years. I’m at the top of my game,” he added. “I’m fitter, stronger, better than ever. I just want to showcase that. I want to be active. I want competition. I want the best guys in front of me, so it’s been pretty frustrating to watch from the sideline.” The undefeated Dutchman’s words are a frightening message for the rest of the middleweight division. “The guy who fought Aung is nothing like the guy I am today,” De Ridder said. “My footwork and striking is better, my takedowns are on another level, my jiujitsu has only gotten better. “I really honed in on the mental aspect. I’ve been putting more work into my cardio system and breathing. I’ve really upped every aspect of my game. I’m just really excited to showcase that again.” De Ridder is even still interested in a crack at becoming the first three-weight champ in ONE history, by adding the heavyweight title to his collection in 2022. “Definitely – anybody, anytime, anywhere,” he said. “I’m really reaching new heights and it doesn’t matter who it is any more. I think I can finish anybody in the world. Just give me a shot, just give me a chance. Bring all the bodies and I’ll do my job. “I’ll just go in at the same weight – I’m taller than anybody, I’m taller than the guys at heavyweight still, and as a natural clean athlete it’s not that easy to gain muscle mass anyway. How much can you gain in half a year? It’s probably just a few kilos as long as you’re clean.” The introduction of US$50,000 performance bonuses will definitely add extra incentive for De Ridder, who has finished three of his five fights in ONE. “Definitely – I always hunt for the finish, and it’s another motivation,” he said. “To be out his long really lit a fire under my ass. I need to finish guys. “Last time I fought Aung there was a lot of last-minute stuff going there, being called a week out. I couldn’t really access the same fire in that fight, and this time I definitely will. I will finish this guy.”