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Two-division ONE world champion Reinier de Ridder will be defending his light heavyweight throne against perhaps his most dangerous opponent yet. On December 3 at ONE on Prime Video 5, 'The Dutch Knight' will face ONE interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly 'Sladkiy' Malykhin for ONE's 225-pound strap.
Without a doubt, Malykhin will be the biggest opponent De Ridder will have faced, not to mention one of the most powerful. 'Sladkiy' has a 100% finishing rate in his undefeated pro record, with more than half of those wins coming by way of knockout. Simply put, Malykhin has the proverbial 'touch of death'.
In an interview with Morning Kombat on YouTube, Reinier de Ridder spoke about how he respects the nuclear threat that Malykhin poses:
"That’s the truth, man. But he’s an interesting matchup. He’s dangerous. He’s been knocking people out left and right. I’ve been strangling people unconscious left and right."
Watch the full interview here:
Reinier de Ridder doesn't feel any worry about Anatoly Malykhin's power
Although Reinier de Ridder respects Anatoly Malykhin's power, he's not all too worried about it either. The undefeated Dutch grappler is confident that his skillset and expertise will be enough to nullify the threat of Malykhin's explosive hands.
In an interview with SCMP MMA, 'The Dutch Knight' spoke about the KO power of 'Sladkiy' in relation to their clash at ONE on Prime Video 5 in Manila:
"He’s a good boxer but he’s not the most technical, to be honest. He just throws looping shots, looping wild right hand. Sometimes a little bit of a tighter right hand and a left hook behind it. It’s very dangerous, but with the right preparation, I don’t feel any worry there."
In MMA, it has been proven time and time again that no one is unbeatable. Yes, both De Ridder and Malykhin have unblemished pro records so far, but with the right game plan and preparation, they can be beaten. It boils down to who can devise a better game plan and whether or not they can implement it perfectly. We'll have to wait and see.
Fans in North America can watch ONE on Prime Video 5 live and for free with an active subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
Watch Reinier de Ridder's full interview with SCMP MMA here:
