“A serious threat in any division” - Anatoly Malykhin lauds former ONE champ Reinier de Ridder in recent UFC run

Anatoly Malykhin couldn't be any prouder to see his former foe Reinier de Ridder charging through enemy lines.

De Ridder is a perfect 3-0 in his UFC run and is coming off a stunning second-round knockout finish of Bo Nickal earlier this month.

In an interview with Lowkick MMA, Malykhin applauded de Ridder's immaculate run in his new promotion and predicted his old rival would continue that dominant form.

Malykhin, however, reminded that he is still the boogeyman to 'The Dutch Knight'. He said:

"He’s a serious threat in any division. But when you see de Ridder winning belts, just remember that Anatoly Malykhin already dealt with him. And dominated him."

De Ridder holds a commanding 20-2 record in his professional career, with 14 of his wins ending in a submission and four in a knockout or technical knockout.

Nevertheless, there's the glaring mark of two straight losses that the Dutch superstar suffered at the hands of Malykhin.

The pair met in two world title matches, ending in Malykhin taking home the gold in both occasions.

Malykhin first scored a deafening knockout win over de Ridder for the ONE light heavyweight MMA world title in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 5 in December 2022 in Manila.

The Russian juggernaut then stopped de Ridder more than a year later to capture the ONE middleweight MMA world title in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar in March 2024.

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Anatoly Malykhin says Bo Nickal was no match for Reinier de Ridder

Anatoly Malykhin knew Reiner de Ridder operated at a higher level against Bo Nickal during their clash at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo.

De Ridder, a natural grappler, folded Nickal with a textbook knee strike 1:53 into the second round of their match in Iowa.

In an interview with Metaratings MMA, Malykhin said de Ridder displayed an evolved offensive game against Nickal and showed the world what he's truly capable of.

"I gave de Ridder rocket fuel. He'll go all the way. He showed a good fight. It's not for nothing that this guy has 20 wins and 18 finishes. This man held two belts in one of the best leagues in the world. Who is Bo Nickal to him? Who is he? He showed that this is not his level. Reinier can compete with anyone. He's improving now. He's motivated.”