Eduard Folayang predicts Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash ONE 159 main event

Eduard Folayang is but one of the many MMA fans looking forward to the ONE 159 main event featuring Reinier de Ridder and Vitaly Bigdash, and he offered his thoughts on who will emerge victorious between the two.

The pair are set to contest the ONE middleweight world title on the July 22 event inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

‘Landslide’ has been competing in martial arts for over a decade and understands what it takes to reach the top. The Filipino has held the ONE lightweight world title twice in his illustrious career, so he’s no stranger to competing in the upper echelon of talent.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he said that he has a clear picture of how the match between de Ridder and Bigdash will go down:

“I think Reinier de Ridder still takes this one. He has that height and reach advantage, plus his body type is very awkward to deal with. I don’t think Vitaly will be able to handle that. De Ridder is extremely technical on the ground, and once he gets you there, he has every advantage. That’s his wheelhouse. If and when this fight hits the ground, it’s the beginning of the end.”

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Eduard Folayang explains what Vitaly Bigdash has to do to overcome Reinier de Ridder

Anything can happen inside the circle, and in the blink of an eye, one of the competitors could find themselves glaring up at the arena lights after a perfectly timed knockout blow.

As such, Eduard Folayang believes that despite Reinier de Ridder’s dominance, Vitaly Bigdash still has a chance against the undefeated champion. However, Bigdash must be able to take the fight into the domain of his advantage:

“Vitaly needs to keep this fight standing, obviously. He has better striking, for sure, and his ground game is pretty solid too. I just think de Ridder is more technical and a class above him as a grappler. De Ridder also has a way of imposing his will and bringing opponents to the canvas.”

Actions speak louder than words, though, and on Friday, July 22, de Ridder and Bigdash will take matters into their own hands to prove or disprove what everyone is predicting for their match.