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Inside the ring, Reinier de Ridder has yet to meet his match. 'The Dutch Knight' has kept his flawless record in his seven mixed martial arts contests under the ONE Championship umbrella. In addition, he's concluded five of them, taking home two world titles in the process.
De Ridder will make his third title defense of the year 2022 of his light heavyweight world championship on December 2 at ONE on Prime Video 5. Interim heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin will drop down a weight class to challenge de Ridder for the title of double champion in a fight between two unbeaten world champions.
With three impressive knockout victories inside the ring entering the battle, Anatoly Malykhin provides a fresh competition for the champion in the making. World champion at both middleweight and light heavyweight Reinier de Ridder feels Anatoly Malykhin lacks variety in his next opponent.
This year, the grappling guru has already displayed his submission prowess. He wrestled against Andre Galvao in a grappling contest at ONE X while successfully defending his middleweight title with two submission victories.
In terms of grappling, Reinier de Ridder doesn't think his rival can contend with him. Recently, "The Dutch Knight" said in an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP):
“His grappling is not really there. His jiu-jitsu game has not evolved, at all, as far as I’ve seen his fights. He doesn’t pass guard. He only gets takedowns, and he stays at full guard and tries to pound the guy out – which he’s pretty successful at, though. I’m not being too critical there."
De Ridder can counter Malykhin's strongest weapon thanks to his power advantage. The Dutchman discussed his fight strategy in an interview with SCMP MMA, saying:
“I’m going to pressure him. I’m going to get close and I’m going to make this a dirty fight.”
One of the largest events of the year, ONE on Prime Video 5 will feature the main event, Reinier de Ridder vs. Anatoly Malykhin. It's going to be a memorable night because four world championships are on the line under four different rule sets. The tournament is held at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines on Friday, December 2, as part of a titanic doubleheader program.