Reinier de Ridder says he sat with “the grief and the loss” after relinquishing MMA light heavyweight throne to Anatoly Malykhin

Reinier de Ridder experienced a situation he hadn't felt before at ONE on Prime Video 5, and that was losing a fight.

The Dutch star didn’t just suffer a defeat but succumbed to the overwhelming power of Russian monster Anatoly Malykhin in Manila.

De Ridder, one of the most confident fighters in the ONE Championship roster, admitted in an interview with Threepeat Media how the loss to Malykhin impacted his entire psyche.

The reigning ONE middleweight MMA world champion said he had to deal with losing his ONE light heavyweight MMA world title, his perfect record, and how he can bounce back from such an impactful defeat.

Reinier de Ridder said:

“I’ve really tried to take time to sit with it, let it be there, the grief and the loss. I’m still okay, I recovered very well. And then the thought came pretty quickly, that I want to make this right.”

De Ridder was a perfect 16-0 in his career when he put the light heavyweight MMA throne on the line against Malykhin in December 2023.

‘The Dutch Knight’ was overflowing with confidence heading into the match, but that bravado got washed away the instant Malykhin got into his rhythm.

Malykhin wasn’t letting his opportunity go to waste and quickly bludgeoned de Ridder to capture his first piece of undisputed ONE Championship gold.

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Reinier de Ridder eyes redemption against Anatoly Malykhin in Qatar

Reinier de Ridder has a chance to not just recapture his form, but also take revenge against Anatoly Malykhin when they cross paths for a second time on March 1.

The ONE middleweight MMA world champion will put his last remaining world title on the line against Malykhin in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

Malykhin, who holds the ONE light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA world titles, wants an unprecedented third world championship, but de Ridder is determined to stop that dream.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Reinier de Ridder said he has nothing on his mind but to get revenge over Malykhin.

“I’m very happy that it’s Malykhin again. Very happy that it’s a chance to redeem myself, which is the most important thing. It’s about me getting back on this last fight. It’s about me redeeming myself. It’s about redemption.”

ONE 166 will be broadcast live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.