Reinier de Ridder has eyes on revenge match with Anatoly Malykhin at the end of 2023

Reinier de Ridder plans on getting even with two-division ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin before the end of 2023.

‘The Dutch Knight’ suffered the first setback of his career, surrendering the ONE light heavyweight world championship to reigning interim heavyweight titleholder Anatoly Malkyin in December. Scheduled for a highly anticipated return to the circle against Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, de Ridder has every intention of exacting revenge on the Russian juggernaut before the end of the year.

“I want to get a good show in first and I’m very excited to grapple Tye [Ruotolo] and showcase some of the things that I am developing in that match, but especially in the MMA match after... I need to set straight what happened last December at the end of this year.”

Watch the full interview with The MMA Superfan

Before turning his attention toward Anatoly Malykhin, Reinier de Ridder will first have to contend with 20-year-old submission sensation Tye Ruotolo. The two BJJ specialists will square off in a submission grappling superfight at the 1stBank Center when ONE Championship makes its long-awaited U.S. debut.

After scoring 16 career wins in mixed martial arts, ‘The Dutch Knight’ will make just his second appearance in submission grappling under the ONE banner, after previously going toe-to-toe with seven-time BJJ world champion Andre Galvao at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X. The two grappling wizards fought to a 12-minute draw.

Tye Ruotolo is yet to go the distance inside the circle, scoring back-to-back submissions against ‘The Lion Killer’ Garry Tonon and former ONE featherweight world champion Marat Gafurov.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 10 live and for free in U.S. primetime on May 5.