Reinier de Ridder says avenging loss to Anatoly Malykhin is a dire necessity: “This is one I need to get back”

ONE middleweight MMA world champion Reinier de Ridder is out to gain revenge against the guy who dented his perfect resume at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

‘The Dutch Knight’ went down to Anatoly Malykhin’s crushing power inside the opening stanza of their light heavyweight clash in Manila, Philippines, in December 2022.

But with plenty of time to work on his shortcomings, the Combat Brothers representative is yearning for a crack to redeem himself and hand the undefeated juggernaut a first loss on his slate when they meet inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

Speaking to InTheCage before he returns for his ninth fight under the ONE banner, Reinier de Ridder stressed the importance of leaving the show with a victory at all costs.

He shared:

“My mental preparation, my technical, physical preparation, I’ve changed a lot of stuff for this camp and fight. I’ve worked really hard because this is one I need to get back.”

Watch the full interview here:

The 33-year-old has openly confessed about his mental state after being wiped out by the now two-division brawler in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 5.

Understandably, after being dominant across all his assignments, with 14 finishes from his 16-0 record, the defeat did more than take the wind out of his sails.

Although it was a tough pill to swallow, ‘The Dutch Knight’ knew he couldn’t let that cloud his mind for a comeback fight.

He makes the long walk towards the circle at ONE 166: Qatar with his back against the wall, but with renewed motivation to succeed and defend his status as the middleweight MMA king, fans could be in for potentially one of his best fights.

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Reinier de Ridder says arrogance got the better of him in first fight vs. Malykhin

For him to come out on top and even their rivalry to one apiece, Reinier de Ridder knows he needs to do more than upgrade his skill set.

Per the middleweight MMA king, the mental aspect of things is another pivotal pillar, especially after he admitted to being too confident during their December 2022 fight.

Reflecting on the first fight in a separate interview with Sherdog, Reinier de Ridder shared:

“I got a little bit too arrogant and was too much inside my own head.”

ONE 166: Qatar will be available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription on March 1.