“I'm looking at a shell of myself” – Reinier de Ridder reflects on his subpar performance against Anatoly Malykhin

Former double-world champion Reinier de Ridder wasn’t at all happy with his last MMA performance.

The Dutchman will face another significant test on March 1, when he defends his middleweight strap against long-time foe ‘Sladkiy’ Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 166: Qatar.

The last time he met the Russian powerhouse in December 2022, de Ridder was on the receiving end of a horrific hammer fist to the face. Suffice it to say, everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong when he attempted to defend the light heavyweight world title.

Speaking with ONE Championship, de Ridder said:

“That's not who I am normally. As you said, and it's not the person I want to be, so it definitely showed in the fight, as well.”

It came as an absolute shock when de Ridder lost by TKO to Malykhin in the opening round of their championship bout. After maintaining a dominant presence within the 185 lbs - 205 lbs category his entire career, you never would’ve believed that the guy absorbing all the shots that night was the champion.

De Ridder continued:

“I wasn't moving like myself. I wasn't as sharp as I normally am. If I look back at those takedowns, they were shit. If I look back at my striking, my movement, it's like I'm looking at a shell of myself.”

Fortunately, ‘The Dutch Knight’ has another chance to redeem himself after suffering such a massive upset. He’s been a great champ before, so de Ridder will just have to dig a lot deeper this time around.

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Reinier de Ridder will focus on key strengths to submit Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 166: Qatar

There’s a reason why Reinier de Ridder once held the title of invincibility in the world of MMA. Largely, it had to do with his mad skills in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Considering that he never got to showcase his jiu-jitsu in his last outing, de Ridder is excited by the prospect of handing the Russian his first loss through a submission.

He told ONE:

“I know where my strengths lie in this one. I know where I can do what I do best. It’s just a matter of time before I get those openings. As long as I stay safe, I’m going to find his neck eventually.”

‘The Dutch Knight’ had an undefeated MMA record of 16-0 before his light heavyweight world title changed hands. As mentioned before, he gained a lot of traction in the MMA world for his crazy submissions over the course of his career. De Ridder wants to prove he’s still got it with another astonishing victory against the very best.

ONE 166: Qatar will air live on March 1 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.