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#2. Vitaly Bigdash has to push Reinier de Ridder on his backpedal
Easier said than done, of course. Reinier de Ridder has a significant size advantage over Bigdash, towering at 6'4", and has a naturally beefier frame. This doesn't mean, however, that Bigdash cannot push the champion and make him fight while moving backwards.
When Leandro Ataides fought de Ridder, the fight was quite close. Ataides was able to negate de Ridder's single-leg entries and was able to push him backward using his punching combinations. Like most taller fighters, 'The Dutch Knight' tends to lean back with his chin up when defending punches from a shorter opponent.
Vitaly Bigdash has a faster, cleaner punching technique than the wild slugger Ataides. With de Ridder more dominant when he's walking his opponents down, pushing the Dutchman on his backpedal can make him feel uncomfortable.
Vitaly Bigdash needs to immediately take the center of the circle and stalk the champion with his striking and takedown entries, keeping him on the defensive. This can cause de Ridder to go for a desperate takedown that can be easily stuffed so Bigdash can land on top or get back on his feet.
#1. Vitaly Bigdash has to be threatening on the ground, especially off of his back
One thing that Reinier de Ridder's opponents have in common is that once they get taken down, their main goal is to do everything to stand back up. One thing they don't do, however, is attack off their backs. With this singular approach to the ground game, de Ridder only has to worry about their attempts to get back up, not potential submission attempts.
If Vitaly Bigdash can manage to make de Ridder tentative on the ground and worry about potential sweep or submission attempts, then he can effectively nullify the champion's overwhelming top pressure.
This is the main hurdle all challengers face against de Ridder and this is one key to victory that's vital to Bigdash's success.
