Vrij competed both in pro wrestling and shoot matches, having the first of them at the event RINGS Mega Battle IV, where he knocked out Mitsuya Nagai with a palm strike.
They faced again in a rubber match in RINGS Maelstrom 6, but an improved Nagai capitalized on Vrij's lack of grappling skill and submitted him with a heel hook.
In February 1998, Vrij took on Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Paul Varelans in a vale tudo rules match for his return to RINGS Holland.
Dick fought in bad health and under heavy ephedrine medication for a foot injury gained in a wrestling match with Valentijn Overeem, but he did not back down from the event.
The subsequent match was controversial, as although Dick dominated the first round with multiple unanswered combos, drawing abundant blood from Varelans's face and hitting ground and pound from the mount, the referee repeatedly pushed Vrij aside and restarted the bout instead of stopping it.