"He looks like a more well-rounded fighter" - Anatoly Malykhin makes surprise pick for de Ridder-Abbasov world title fight

Anatoly Malykhin has dropped his prediction for the upcoming championship bout between Reinier de Ridder and Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE: Full Circle. 'The Dutch Knight' is set to defend his middleweight belt against 'Brazen', the reigning welterweight champion, in the main event.

Malykhin suggests that Friday evening's title challenger could be the first man to put a dent in the reigning champ's flawless record. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, The Russian colossus made it clear that he thinks Abbasov will be making the trip back to Kyrgyzstan with the coveted middleweight strap and champ-champ status.

He said:

“My money is on Abbasov. He has better boxing, he looks physically stronger, and he looks like a more well-rounded fighter.”

De Ridder is optimistic that he'll force Abbasov to tap before the final bell. The Dutchman is also confident that he will get a good grip on his opponent’s neck in their main event tussle.

However, there seems to be little talk about the welterweight king’s fluency on the canvas. Malykhin thinks that the challenger holds an advantage in this department, going so far as issuing a reminder to the Dutch champion to work on his takedown defense.

He added:

“Let’s see if de Ridder can defend himself from Kiamrian's takedowns."

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Anatoly Malykhin is enjoying time off after title-winning performance

Anatoly Malykhin put out one of his most memorable displays in the Circle at ONE: Bad Blood a few weeks ago to come away with the interim heavyweight title.

‘Sladkiy’ utilized his heavy punches and huge frame to control the contest from the opening bell. His boxing and groundwork outclassed his opponent, Kirill Grishenko. He put an end to the contest with a thumping right hand at 3:42 of the second round.

Not only did he claim ONE interim heavyweight gold, the highlight-reel victory earned him two $50,000 bonuses from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. The title unification bout with Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar is next on his list. For now, the Russian slugger is enjoying a well-deserved break with his wife and kid.