“When you punch, there’s no power” - Russian mauler Anatoly Malykhin not worried about Reinier de Ridder’s striking

Two-division world titleholder Anatoly Malykhin isn’t concerned about Reinier de Ridder’s stand-up game.

This Friday, March 1, the Russian juggernaut returns to the circle for a history-making opportunity when he headlines ONE 166 inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. Standing across from him will be a man he’s already beaten before.

The last time Anatoly Malykhin and Reinier de Ridder met at ONE on Prime Video 5, ‘Sladkiy’ scored a brutal first-round knockout over the Dutchman, taking de Ridder’s ONE light heavyweight MMA world title in the process.

Now holding both the ONE MMA world titles at heavyweight and light heavyweight, Malykhin is coming for de Ridder’s last remaining belt, the ONE middleweight MMA crown. If he succeeds, he will become the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous three-division champion.

Appearing at the ONE 166 press event ahead of their highly anticipated rematch, Malykhin made it clear that he has nothing to fear from de Ridder’s striking, saying:

“Only jiu-jitsu, no special, only jiu-jitsu, when you punch, [there’s] no power. I'm the best of the best in freestyle wrestling. At the start of the fight, no jiu-jitsu, KO one round.”

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Reinier de Ridder knows he has to fight smarter against Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 166

Before suffering his first setback against Anatoly Malykhin, ‘The Dutch Knight’ was a perfect 16-0 in his MMA career, with 11 of those victories coming by way of submission. Unfortunately, de Ridder’s inability to get Malykhin to the mat is what spelled the disastrous end to his undefeated streak.

Recognizing that his performance against Malykhin the first time around was lackluster — to say the least — Reinier de Ridder believes patience will be his key to victory in their rematch.

“I know where my strengths lie in this one,” de Ridder told ONE. “I know where I can do what I do best. It’s just a matter of time before I get those openings. As long as I stay safe, I’m going to find his neck eventually.”

Will ‘The Dutch Knight’ even the series, or will Anatoly Malykhin make history and claim his third world championship in Qatar?

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch all the action at ONE 166: Qatar live and for free on Friday, March 1.