“The best fight they’ll ever see” – Anatoly Malykhin vows to put on a spectacular show vs Reinier de Ridder at ONE 166: Qatar

ONE light-heavyweight and heavyweight MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin is at the cusp of history, heading towards ONE 166: Qatar on March 1. In ONE Championship's debut in Qatar, 'Sladkiy' will look to become the first man to win world titles in three different weight classes in MMA history.

On paper, the odds are looking good for Anatoly Malykhin, who is facing ONE middleweight MMA world champion Reinier 'The Dutch Knight' de Ridder. In December 2022, Malykhin famously stopped the previously undefeated De Ridder in the first round to win the ONE light-heavyweight MMA world title. Momentum is on the Russian's side leading up to the rematch.

Appearing in last weekend's ONE Fight Night 19 in support of his fellow Russian fighter, Mansur Malachiev, the heavy-handed behemoth graced the ring to address the fans inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium:

“First of all, I would like to thank the boss [ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong] for this opportunity to fight in Qatar. I’ll show Qatar the best fight they’ll [ever see]. People should watch it, it’s going to be amazing!”

You don't need to convince us to watch Malykhin vs. De Ridder II on March 1. Not only will it possibly have a historic moment of crowing a three-division MMA king, but the event will also feature multiple world title bouts. That itself is already historic.

---

Anatoly Malykhin brimming with confidence heading into ONE 166: Qatar

Riling up the crowd inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium even more, Malykhin showed his shredded abs as he's moving down to 205 pounds to fight for de Ridder's middleweight throne. He also declared a bold prediction of the fight's outcome:

“I already feel like the three-division world champion. I am very happy, I am very motivated. I am super ready for this fight, and I’m going to knock him out in the first round.”

Though De Ridder has a few things he can adjust to turn the tide in their rematch on March 1, it's hard to deny the fight-ending power Anatoly Malykhin has in his hands. We'll just have to wait and see what sort of adjustments 'The Dutch Knight' will make to negate the concussive punches of 'Sladkiy' come fight night.

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