![Reinier de Ridder (left) and Anatoly Malykhin (right). [Photo from ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/87f29-17464481910287-1920.jpg)
![Reinier de Ridder (left) and Anatoly Malykhin (right). [Photo from ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAX/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMVID0v/xAAiEAABAwMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEAAURBhIiISMxUWL/2gAIAQEAAT8AGzaZgTLbbHY0R9+dIIXeBqhbi7aBlOGBUk8/S0ekYRmRMz4bbRLkQO37yFPSrnrX/8QAFxEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDAP/aAAgBAgEBPwDVLN2G9//EABgRAQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAAEE/9oACAEDAQE/AOeYtHSZz//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Anatoly Malykhin was nothing short of ecstatic after watching his old foe Reinier De Ridder brutalize Bo Nickal this past weekend.
The former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world champion scored a stunning TKO win over Nickal in their middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo in Des Moines, Iowa.
De Ridder, who's a grappling specialist, folded Nickal with a calculated knee to the body for his third win in as many fights in the UFC.
Malykhin, the only man to beat the Dutch superstar in MMA, saw the fight and had nothing but respect for the former two-division ONE world champion.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
In an interview with MMA Russia, Anatoly Malykhin said:
"I gave de Ridder rocket fuel. He'll go all the way. He showed a good fight. It's not for nothing that this guy has 20 wins and 18 finishes. This man held two belts in one of the best leagues in the world. Who is Bo Nickal to him? Who is he? He showed that this is not his level. Reinier can compete with anyone. He's improving now. He's motivated.”
Malykhin, who now holds the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world titles, met De Ridder twice in ONE Championship, with both fights ending in gruesome knockout wins.
As for De Ridder, 'The Dutch Knight' was one of 10 fighters to become a simultaneous two-division world champion in ONE Championship.
The Dutch superstar first captured the ONE middleweight MMA world title when he submitted the legendary Aung La N Sang with a rear-naked choke in October 2020.
De Ridder then took the ONE light heavyweight MMA world title from Aung La via unanimous decision in their next matchup in April 2021.
Anatoly Malykhin says he's ready to step in the ring any time ONE Championship calls him
Anatoly Malykhin is eager to step between the ropes, and all he needs is just one phone call from ONE Championship.
In an interview with the promotion, the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world champion said:
"I've never turned down a fight. If I'm healthy and not injured, I'm in. I've always been hungry to fight. There's no 'perfect' date for me. I'm ready whenever ONE needs me."
