Christian and Angela Lee split on Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash middleweight showdown

Former ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee and his sister, reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee, find themselves split down the middle with their predictions for the Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash middleweight showdown this Friday night.

The two middleweights will clash in the main event of ONE 159 in Singapore, with the undefeated Reinier de Ridder putting his perfect record and gold on the line.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Christian and Angela shared their thoughts on the highly-anticipated matchup.

Christian Lee told ONE:

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“Reinier, he’s just really at the top of his game. Between middleweight and light heavyweight, I don’t see too many guys who will be able to stop his takedown and defend from his submissions over five rounds. So, I think it’s going to be a real tough fight for Bigdash. There’s a chance that he can defend the takedowns, keep it standing, and have a good performance. But I would favor Reinier getting a submission win.”

Angela Lee then provided her take:

“You know what? I’m going to place a bet on Bigdash. I’ve been watching him fight since I joined the company, and yeah, I’ll be rooting for him.”

Reinier de Ridder has maintained a stronghold on the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions over the last few years. Former middleweight king Vitaly Bigash, meanwhile, recently earned an opportunity to reclaim his throne following an impressive decision victory over ‘The Burmese Python’ Aung La N Sang in February.

Both men hold unique fighting styles and impressive runs in ONE, which makes it that much harder to predict a winner. Angela ‘Unstoppable’ Lee and her younger brother Christian Lee can’t seem to agree on their pick.

Christian Lee seeks decisive finish in rematch with Ok Rae Yoon at ONE 160

After a controversial five-round loss to Ok Rae Yoon in their 2021 lightweight clash, Christian Lee seeks to end his saga with the South Korean with a decisive submission finish in the first round.

The pair will figure in a rematch in the main event of ONE 160, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, August 26.

‘The Warrior’ was dismayed by the outcome of their first world title matchup last September. The Singaporean-American superstar believed he had done enough to retain his lightweight belt, and subsequently asked for a review of the fight. The decision, however, was sustained.

Believing he’s still the rightful owner of the lightweight world championship, Lee has doubled down on his time in the gym with the sole focus on retaining his belt.

With every intention of finishing the fight early, the 24 year-old told SCMP MMA that he expects a first-round knockout.

Watch the full interview below:

About the author

Saray has been a part of Sportskeeda’s MMA team for the last two years and has penned over 1500 pieces so far. She extensively covers ONE Championship, reporting on disciplines like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, and kickboxing. She previously spent a year working for BTC Promotions in Burlington, Ontario. She has a degree in English and was also an English Language instructor.

A former taekwondo practitioner, Saray’s favorite fighters include Khabib Nurmagomedov, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Demetrious Johnson.

Saray’s journey as an MMA fan began after watching Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Juliana Lima at UFC on Fox 12 in 2014. She now pushes to provide unique and accurate insights to MMA enthusiasts. Her extensive experience includes interviewing top ONE Championship athletes like Danielle Kelly and ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt via The MMA Superfan and Sportskeeda.

Outside of work, her other interests include watching the UFC, playing soccer, and blogging. And she loves being a mom.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard